Hurricane Otis hits famous beach resort of Acapulco, Mexico

Hurricane Otis hits famous beach resort of Acapulco, Mexico

Web Desk
October 26, 2023

Hurricane Otis hits famous beach resort of Acapulco, Mexico

Hurricane Otis hits famous beach resort of Acapulco, Mexico.
This rare Category 5 hurricane made landfall in the southern state of Guerrero.
The highest level on the five-step Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.

Hurricane Otis, one of the most powerful storms to ever make landfall on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, struck the beach resort of Acapulco early on Wednesday, causing significant damage to buildings and essential infrastructure. The city was left without communication and power.

Videos shared on social media depicted the aftermath of Otis, with hotels in ruins, ceilings and walls torn apart, shattered windows, and cars partially submerged in floodwaters.

This rare Category 5 hurricane made landfall in the southern state of Guerrero, leaving debris scattered in lobbies, streets, and hotel balconies. The downtown area of Acapulco was littered with the remains of damaged trees. In addition, downed telecommunication lines and infrastructure damage isolated the residents from the outside world.

The city’s airport, serving nearly 900,000 people, was shut down until further notice, as it lost power and nearby roads were blocked due to the hurricane’s impact.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, in an effort to provide support, set off for Acapulco by car but faced delays due to road closures caused by the storm, as seen in video footage on social media.

The power outages made it difficult for officials to assess the full extent of the destruction although there were no immediate reports of fatalities. Some officials expressed concerns privately that Otis might have resulted in some loss of life.

Luisa Pena, a distressed hotel guest in Acapulco, recounted her experience being caught in the eye of the storm. She described seeking shelter in a closet and praying for another chance. She stated that her room had been “destroyed” as Otis tore through the building.

Social media footage from a hospital showed nurses evacuating patients from their rooms to ensure their safety from Otis, which rapidly strengthened at sea and made landfall with winds reaching 165 miles per hour (266 kph).

The main highway connecting Acapulco to Mexico City was not expected to be fully open until Thursday. The government mobilized the military to assist in clearing the storm’s aftermath.

The highest level on the five-step Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale Otis initially made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane.

However, its strength diminished quickly, and it weakened to a Category 4 storm as it moved further inland, eventually dissipating over the mountains of southern Mexico.

Mexican authorities were surprised by the strength of Otis, as the storm was initially anticipated to be only a tropical storm. Its rapid intensification occurred as it approached the coast.

Notably, Otis struck the Pacific coast nearly eight years after Hurricane Patricia, a storm that generated winds of 200 miles per hour (322 kph).

The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued warnings of heavy rainfall in southwestern and south-central Mexico through Thursday, along with an ongoing risk of severe flooding and mudslides.

Authorities had previously forecast that Otis could bring up to 20 inches (51 cm) of rainfall to parts of Guerrero and Oaxaca states, along with the potential for catastrophic storm surges, life-threatening surf, and rip currents.

Power outages were reported across Guerrero, affecting hundreds of thousands of residents. Flights to and from Acapulco were suspended, and school classes were canceled.

The government reported extensive damage at the airport, including shattered windows in the control tower.

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