Dean has downgraded to a category-1 hurricane on Tuesday as it crossed the eastern Mexican Campeche state slowly towards the states of Veracruz and Tamaulipas, both in the Gulf of Mexico region.

Correspondents were informed of strong winds and rainfalls in Campeche, which have affected thousands of inhabitants and five municipalities since Dean knocked down electricity and telephone posts, among other things.

Meanwhile, Veracruz has been put on red alert since Dean's violent arrival is expected on Wednesday, possibly through the cities of Poza Rica or Nautla.

Veracruz's governor Fidel Herrera ordered diverse measures, including suspending school activities for Wednesday and Thursday.

Herrera said the state has been on red and permanent alert since it expected the huricane to hit the state's northern region.

The category-5 huricane landed in Mexico early Tuesday from the Majahual region near Chetumal, capital of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.

However, Cancun and the Riviera Maya, the state's two main tourist centers, were not affected and resumed normal activities on Tuesday.

Mexican federal officials will remain on alert until the danger is over. They will later evaluate the damages and corresponding reconstruction plans.

At 06:00 local time (1100 GMT), Hurricane Dean hit the southeastern Mexican states of Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Yucatan Peninsula on Tuesday with sustained winds of 250-km per-hour, flooding streets, toppling trees and blowing roofs off houses.

President Felipe Calderon said, "No human losses have been reported until now."

Officials from the civil emergency department did not report victims in any of the three states of the Yucatan Peninsula, but they foresaw floods caused by the heavy rainfalls in the region.