A "potentially catastrophic" hurricane headed for Mexico

2023-10-25 12:32:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Residents of Mexico's once-glamorous port, Acapulco, and surrounding coastal towns are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Otis, which has the potential to bring catastrophic consequences.

This Category 5 hurricane brought back memories of the 1997 storm, which killed dozens of people.

"A nightmare scenario is developing for southern Mexico this evening as Otis approaches the coast at high speed," the US weather service's National Hurricane Center said late Tuesday.

Hurricane Otis strengthened from a tropical storm to a dangerous Category 5 hurricane within 12 hours on Tuesday as it approaches the Pacific coast of southern Mexico.

The US Weather Service said Otis packed winds of up to 160 mph late Tuesday and was expected to make landfall in Acapulco Wednesday morning.

Acapulco is a city of over one million inhabitants at the foot of the mountains. Luxury homes and slums dot the city's mountain side overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Otis is expected to remain a Category 5 hurricane upon landfall, but is then expected to weaken rapidly due to Mexico's high terrain. Otis is likely to disappear south of Mexico by Wednesday night.

In Acapulco, people rushed to shelter in their homes as heavy rain and strong winds began to fall, forcing tourists to abandon the beach.

The mayor of Acapulco, Abelina Lopez, called on residents to stay in their homes, or go to the city's shelters.

She said Otis could be a more destructive hurricane than Hurricane Pauline, which hit the country in 1997, destroying parts of the city and killing more than 200 people. Hundreds more were injured by floods and landslides.

The President of Mexico, Andrea Manuel Lopez Abrador, called on citizens through a post on the X social network to go to "refuge centers, to safe places away from rivers, streams, valleys and to be attentive".

Mexico's military has moved more than 8,000 troops to Acapulco with specialized equipment to aid rescue teams.

The authorities closed the port of Acapulco, which has 300 fishing boats./ REL