- Tropical Storm Otis strikes Mexico
- Landfall in Acapulco
- Warnings, damage, and precautions
Tropical Storm Otis has established its presence along the southern coast of Mexico, delivering gusts of wind reaching 165 mph (270 km/h).
On Wednesday at 06:25 GMT, it made landfall in the vicinity of the renowned Acapulco resort, according to the National Hurricane Centre (NHC).
Warnings and Impacts
As torrential rain inundates the region, authorities have issued warnings of a life-threatening storm surge and the potential for landslides.
In its progression inland, the cyclone has already started to diminish in intensity.
David Hall arrived hours before Otis made landfall at the Princess Mundo Imperial resort in Acapulco for a business conference. He informed that wind and precipitation had caused damage to the structure.
According to him, the hotel room windows buckled and shattered due to the wind’s force, pulling items from the space.
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Mr. Hall, a native of Colima, Mexico, located approximately 372 miles (600 kilometers) from Acapulco, reported that the structure “shook” as if an earthquake were occurring.
Hundreds of other hotel guests, including himself, have taken to hiding in one another’s quarters as the hurricane nears its peak.
“Many individuals are terrified,” Mr. Hall prodded.
Hurricane Watch and Precautions
A hurricane watch is in effect for a 350-kilometer stretch of coastline in the state of Guerrero between the coastal communities of Zihuatanejo and Punta Maldonado.
Power outages in Guerrero have been documented, as per the civil protection agency of Mexico. Classes were canceled throughout the state in anticipation of the storm’s approach.
Flooding outside the Copacabana hotel and damage to a hospital in Acapulco are captured in unverified online recordings.
The Mexican water agency projected surges up to 10 metres (32 ft) in Guerrero and western Oaxaca coasts. In addition, potential mudslides have been predicted.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also urged people to evacuate to emergency shelters and avoid rivers, streams, and ravines.
He subsequently stated that no fatalities had been reported but cautioned that authorities were having difficulty obtaining updates.
Record-Breaking Intensification
“The hurricane is still affecting the area, and communications are completely down,” according to him.
Additionally, the NHC predicted that Otis could generate as much as 51 centimeters (20 inches) of precipitation on Friday throughout Guerrero and the western coast of the neighboring state of Oaxaca.
Tuesday’s meteorological evolution of Otis from a tropical storm to a category five hurricane, the most intense storm, occurred at an unprecedented rate, according to scientists.
The storm, which reached 80 miles per hour, surpassed the previous record for the quickest intensification rate in the Eastern Pacific over a 12-hour period, as stated by meteorologist Philip Klotzbach.
Tropical Storm Max flooded parts of Mexico’s Pacific coast earlier this month. Due to the hurricane, two fatalities were reported by local media in Guerrero.
The powerful hurricane Lidia’s landfall killed one person in Nayarit, northwest of Guerrero, a few days later.
