Hurricane Grace cuts through Mexico before weakening; kills 8

Hurricane Grace crossed through Mexico on Saturday, leaving at least eight people dead, causing floods and power cuts to more than half a million customers, before losing force as it swept toward the country's Pacific coast.

The storm entered Mexico as a Category 3 hurricane when it hit ground in Veracruz state early Saturday, but was downgraded to a tropical storm several hours later, according to Mexico's National Meteorological Service.

Mudslides, power outages, and collapsed trees affected people across the eastern and central part of Mexico, according to Mexico's Security Ministry and Civil Protection Office. The deaths were reported by Veracruz's Governor Cuitlahuac Garcia in a press conference.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador expressed his condolences to those affected, saying in a tweet Saturday afternoon that "they're not alone."

The country's Federal Electricity Commission released a statement Saturday morning indicating that 565,470 users had been affected in the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla, and San Luis Potosi, but stating that by 10 am it had reestablished service for 10% of them.