An “extremely dangerous” and “potentially catastrophic” hurricane is threatening Acapulco, a tourist hotspot on the Pacific coast of western Mexico, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned on Tuesday, October 24.
Hurricane Otis was rated a 5 out of 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. “Otis is expected to be a potentially catastrophic hurricane” when it makes landfall in the Acapulco area early Wednesday, the NHC said in its report. The cyclone is currently located 135 kilometers at sea south of Acapulco and is carrying maximum wind speeds of 230 km/h.
In anticipation of Otis’ arrival at the waterfront, soldiers were dispatched to the city. Schools were closed by order of the local government in Guerrero state.
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“There are no tours today, the port is closed to tourists,” Carolina Torres, a local tour boat operator, said in a video from Agence France-Presse. “It’s very strange. He [l’ouragan Otis] is supposed to be right in front of us and everything looks very calm. We hope it eases up a bit. Let’s hope so, otherwise it will be very serious for us,” she added.
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The governor of Guerrero state, Evelyn Salgado, stressed the importance of coordination between local authorities and the armed forces for “the well-being of residents and the prevention of risks.”
The city of Acapulco was struck by Hurricane Paulina on October 9, 1997, which was a Category 4 when it made landfall. Paulina killed more than 200 people, one of the worst natural disasters for Mexico besides earthquakes.
Last week, Hurricane Norma caused three deaths a little further north. Norma made landfall twice, first on the Baja California peninsula, then in the state of Sinaloa.
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Located between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico is subject to hurricanes during the May-October-November season. A dozen depressions a year can turn into more or less devastating hurricanes, depending on the point of entry. However, the strongest wind ever recorded, Patricia, in October 2015 with wind speeds of 325 km/h, only caused material damage as it entered the area through an uninhabited mountainous area.
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In September 2013, Hurricane Ingrid in the Gulf and Tropical Storm Manuel in the Pacific took the country by storm. “Their interaction represented a historic phenomenon not seen since 1958,” said authorities, who recorded 157 deaths, including victims of landslides.