September, Thursday 19, 2024

Assessing the Devastation: Mexico Evaluates the Aftermath of Hurricane Otis


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Mexican authorities are currently evaluating the destruction caused by Hurricane Otis, a powerful storm that struck Mexico's Pacific coast on Wednesday. Acapulco, a popular resort, appears to have suffered significant damage, but due to communication disruptions, there is limited official information available. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador traveled by land to Acapulco since local airports remain closed. At some point, he had to walk because the highway was blocked by mudslides. The president stated that the army is mobilizing machinery to reopen the highway as soon as possible. Although there have been no reports of fatalities so far, officials cautioned that the lack of functioning landlines and mobile phone coverage makes it difficult to have a clear understanding of the situation. Tourists captured footage on their phones that showed streets in Acapulco covered in debris, buildings with broken windows and roofs, and widespread flooding. The Ministry of Defense has deployed 8,000 soldiers to aid in the cleanup efforts in Acapulco and other affected coastal towns. Hurricane Otis reached the Pacific coast at 00:25 local time on Wednesday, rapidly intensifying from a tropical storm to a category five hurricane within 12 hours. It brought winds of 165 miles per hour (265 km/h) to coastal regions before weakening. Witnesses in Acapulco described the shaking of buildings as if an earthquake had struck. Videos circulating online displayed guests taking shelter in windowless areas to avoid injury from shattered glass. The facade of a shopping center in Acapulco was also torn off. Over 30% of homes in Guerrero state experienced power outages, plunging entire towns into darkness. While the wind's strength subdued relatively quickly as Otis moved inland, Mexico's meteorological service warned of heavy rain in Guerrero and very heavy rain in Michoacán, Mexico state, Morelos, and Oaxaca, which could lead to flash floods, urban flooding, and landslides in areas of elevated terrain.