Pacific Storm “Otis” hit the southwest coast of Mexico with full force as a top level five hurricane near the famous beach resort of Acapulco. Communication with the region has been completely interrupted, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said yesterday. The full extent of the damage is therefore still difficult to estimate.
AP/Marco Ugarte
The storm made landfall with sustained wind speeds of nearly 170 miles per hour and gusts of up to 210 mph, according to the U.S. Hurricane Center in Miami (NHC) and the Mexican Weather Service.
In just about twelve hours, “Otis” evolved from a tropical storm into an extremely dangerous hurricane. “According to records, rarely does a hurricane develop so quickly and with such strength,” López Obrador said at a news conference.
500,000 connections temporarily without power
On land, “Otis” lost strength and became a category one hurricane, with sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour, according to the Mexican meteorological service. According to meteorologists, “Otis” is expected to dissipate over the mountainous region during the day, but will continue to cause heavy rain.
Mexican Civil Defense reported power outages as a result of the storm in the state of Guerrero, which also includes Acapulco. According to state operator CFE, 500,000 connections were left without power. The power supply has been partially restored. According to the president, landslides also occurred on rural roads and damage to a military airport. Initially there were no reports of deaths.
Damaged earthquake early warning system
The hurricane also damaged the earthquake early warning system on Mexico’s Pacific coast. The operator said 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 will not be able to be notified in time.
Although engineers are available to carry out repairs, important transport routes in the region have been disrupted as a result of the storm, it was said.