Hurricane Otis, a category 5 storm with winds reaching 165mph, wreaked havoc on Acapulco last Thursday, resulting in the death of at least 27 individuals and leaving four unaccounted for. The storm’s devastating impact on homes, hotels, and infrastructure became evident as over 8,400 military personnel, including members from the army, air force, and national guard, were dispatched for relief and cleanup operations.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador described the situation in Acapulco as “truly disastrous” during a press conference in Mexico City. Notably, parts of Acapulco, a globally renowned tourist hub with a population nearing 900,000, are still grappling with power outages and communication breakdowns.
Officials have labeled Otis as one of the most potent storms to ever hit Mexico. Its rapid intensification, fueled by warm Pacific waters, took many by surprise. The hurricane’s onslaught led to the evacuation of numerous patients from ravaged hospitals.
As communication slowly restores in some regions, residents are leveraging online platforms like WhatsApp to connect with friends and family both within Mexico and in the U.S. These groups, which numbered around 1,000 people across 40 chats on Thursday, are sharing updates, photos, and seeking information about missing loved ones.
Juan Pablo Lopez, separated from his wife and newborn son in Acapulco while he was in Cancún, expressed his deep concern for his family, especially after communication was abruptly severed.
The rapid escalation of Hurricane Otis, driven by unusually warm ocean temperatures, has intensified concerns about the climate crisis’s role in amplifying storm severity. Research indicates that storms are intensifying faster in our warming climate, with Otis’s wind speeds surging by approximately 110mph in a mere 24 hours, leaving communities with minimal preparation time.
In Acapulco, a significant portion of the city’s hotels, which were accommodating tourists and international mining convention attendees, suffered damage. Evelyn Sagaldo, Guerrero’s governor, stated that the storm affected 80% of the city’s hotels.
By Wednesday, authorities managed to partially reopen the primary highway connecting Acapulco to Chilpancingo and Mexico City, facilitating the movement of emergency resources. However, Acapulco’s commercial and military airports remain inoperable. Despite this, López Obrador plans to establish an air bridge to expedite the delivery of essential resources.