Mexico - Hurricane Otis: Mexico`s most powerful storm ever makes landfall near Acapulco resort
Hurricane Otis made landfall near the resort city of Acapulco on the southern Pacific Coast of Mexico on Wednesday.
The Category 5 hurricane threatens to bring record winds and rainfall that could create a dreadful scenario of flooding and mudslides.
The National Hurricane Center reported that the maximum sustained winds rose to 165 miles per hour with strong gusts when Hurricane Otis hit the Mexico beach at about 12:25 am local time.
Hurricane Otis originated in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday and evolved as a Category 1 storm on Tuesday. Forecasters believe the potentially catastrophic storm is the most powerful one Mexico has ever witnessed.
Acapulco, a massive port city and famous tourist destination with a population of 852,000, lies in Hurricane Otis' route. The storm hit the Mexico coast as the fishing villages and beach resorts gear up for peak winter season.
On Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center called it a "serious situation for the Acapulco metropolitan area." They warned people about the Hurricane reaching near or over the city.
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Read also
Hurricane Otis smashes into Mexico coast, BBC.com / October 26, 2023
'Nightmare' Hurricane Otis wreaks havoc on Mexican coast, DW (English) / October 26, 2023
Hurricane Otis insurable losses from wind pegged at $10B-$15B, Business Insurance / October 26, 2023
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On Tuesday, the authorities also issued a hurricane warning for the Pacific Coast in Guerrero, the beach town of Punta Maldonado and the resort city of Zihuatanejo.
Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the president of Mexico, has urged Guerrero residents to stay prepared for the storm. "Agree to move to shelters, stay in safe places, away from rivers, streams, ravines, and be alert," he said.
Meanwhile, the National Coordination of Civil Protection said it evacuated citizens from dangerous areas to temporary shelters in Acapulco and Tecpán de Galeana. It advised people to avoid landslide-prone areas and crossing streams and flooded streets.
As per the warning, the storm could produce life-threatening floods and mudslides in mountainous areas.
The forecasters predicted a maximum rain of 16 inches across Guerrero and the western coastal section of Oaxaca through Thursday.
However, Category 5 storms lose energy over shallower waters when they make landfall. They are tropical storms with wind speeds over 157 miles per hour, the rarest and strongest class in the Saffir-Simpson scale. "There are no hurricanes on record even close to this intensity for this part of Mexico," the National Coordination of Civil Protection added. Otis could be more devastating than Hurricane Pauline, a 1997 storm that caused mass destruction and killed more than 200 people.
