1 in 2 tourists are seen on Acapulco beach hours before the arrival of Hurricane Otis on October 24, 2023 Photo: Bernardino Hernández/AP Tourists are seen on Acapulco beach hours before the arrival of Hurricane Otis on October 24, 2023 Photo : Bernardino Hernández/AP
Hurricane Otis hit the west coast of Mexico this Tuesday (24) with wind speeds of up to 270 km/h and heavy rain.
It quickly strengthened, developing from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane within 12 hours and falling back to Category 4 on Wednesday morning.
“We are on high alert,” Acapulco Mayor Abelina López said Tuesday evening as she urged residents to shelter in their homes or move to emergency shelters across the city.
Mexico’s national water agency CONAGUA warned of waves of six to eight meters in the state of Guerrero, where Acapulco is located, and also in parts of the state of Oaxaca.
There were no deaths or injuries reported in the region as of the last update of this report.
2 of 2 NOAA satellite image shows the formation of Hurricane Otis on the west coast of Mexico on October 24, 2023 Photo: NOAA via AP NOAA satellite image shows the formation of Hurricane Otis on the west coast of Mexico on October 24, 2023. 2023 Photo: NOAA via AP
Guerrero schools canceled classes Wednesday ahead of Otis’ arrival, Gov. Evelyn Salgado said on social media.
According to the country’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Otis could be more devastating than Hurricane Pauline, which hit Acapulco in 1997, destroying parts of the city and killing more than 200 people.
Acapulco is a city of more than 1 million people located in the lower part of the steep mountains. Luxury homes and some slums also cover the city’s mountain slopes.
Guerrero is one of the poorest and most violent states in Mexico.