“Extremely dangerous”: Hurricane “Otis” threatens to devastate southwestern Mexico

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Pacific Storm “Otis” hit the southwestern coast of Mexico as an upper Level 5 hurricane near the resort town of Acapulco. Initially nothing was known about the effects on land. When ‘Otis’ reached the coast, it was still night in Mexico.

As the U.S. Hurricane Center in Miami (NHC) and the Mexican Weather Service announced Wednesday evening, the storm reached sustained winds of nearly 170 miles per hour and gusts of up to 205 miles per hour. Within about twelve hours, ‘Otis’ had developed from a tropical storm to an extremely dangerous hurricane.

Acapulco is a popular seaside resort

“This is an extremely serious situation for the greater Acapulco area as the core of the devastating hurricane is likely to pass near or over this major city early Wednesday,” the hurricane center said late Tuesday. “No hurricane with anywhere near this intensity has been recorded in this part of Mexico.”

According to the NHC, the hurricane has the potential to cause “catastrophic damage.” Authorities in Guerrero state had urged people to move to safe shelters and stay away from the coast and rivers.

About a four-hour drive south of Mexico City, Acapulco is one of the most famous and traditional Mexican beach resorts. However, in recent years he has suffered greatly from the violence of the drug cartels. (ene/SDA)

Source: Blick