Hurricane in Mexico: “Otis” leaves serious damage in Acapulco Hurricane in Mexico: “Otis” leaves serious damage in Acapulco

Hurricane ‘Otis’ caused severe damage to the Mexican west coast around the world-famous resort of Acapulco. Hotel facades were demolished, windows broken, trees fell and streets were flooded, the newspaper ‘Milenio’ reported on Thursday. At least one person was killed in the heavy storm.

The highway between Acapulco and the capital Mexico City, about a four-hour drive away, was closed after landslides. The airport in the tourist resort stopped operating. According to media reports, more than 100,000 holidaymakers were initially stranded. A fisherman was killed near Acapulco while trying to secure his boat, Foro TV reported.

‘Otis’ hit the coast Wednesday night as an extremely dangerous Level 5 hurricane with sustained winds of nearly 170 miles per hour and gusts up to 205 miles per hour. It then lost its power over land and eventually disappeared.

What was special was that ‘Otis’ had developed from a tropical storm to an extremely dangerous hurricane in about twelve hours. According to experts, the rapid intensification of hurricanes is due to climate change. As ocean surface temperatures rise, hurricanes are not only able to absorb more water vapor, but are also able to do so at an increasingly rapid rate.

Hurricane “Otis” hits an already battered tourist resort

Initially, there was little information about the extent of the damage, as internet and telephone networks were down. According to state supplier CFE, 500,000 households were temporarily without electricity. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador traveled to Acapulco with several ministers to assess the situation.

Acapulco is known for its cliff divers and luxury hotels. The international jet set once resided there. However, due to the high level of violent crime, tourists from abroad have become fewer and fewer in recent times. Nowadays, mainly residents of Mexico City spend their long weekends in the seaside resort.

Photos in the media showed, among other things, destroyed stretches of coastline in the city. A hotel lobby was littered with debris and a small car was even washed inside the hotel. The facade of the Galerías Diana shopping center was completely demolished on one side.

Landslides and uprooted trees blocked roads and highways. According to a report by “Milenio”, the houses and fields of dozens of families have been destroyed in the village of Sabanillas. The local government has set up emergency shelters, Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado Pineda announced. According to the Ministry of Defense, approximately 8,400 soldiers have been deployed to the region to assist with recovery and clean-up efforts.

“Otis” also damaged the earthquake early warning system on Mexico’s Pacific coast. The operator announced on Wednesday that communication with at least 27 of the approximately 100 sensors in the seismic observation network had been interrupted. If a strong earthquake occurs near the damaged sensors, the population cannot be warned in time.

(hah/sda/dpa)