At least 27 people are dead and four people are missing in Acapulco after a “nightmare” Category-5 hurricane, Mexican officials said on Thursday.
Hurricane Otis roared ashore shortly after midnight on Wednesday with 165mph winds and torrential rainfall, slamming into the coastal city where residents had little time to evacuate or prepare.
Otis is the strongest ever storm to make landfall on Mexico’s west coast. The hurricane underwent explosive intensification from a Category 1 to Category 5 in just 12 hours, catching forecasters by surprise. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) described it as a “nightmare scenario” for the region.
The hurricane resulted in widespread devastation across the city and rural, mountain villages. Thousands of windows were blown out in apartment buildings and hotels while facades were stripped and ceilings collapsed. Flooding was widespread and residents were forced to pick their way through inches of mud in the streets to look for supplies.
Rescue efforts were slow after a landslide blocked the main highway to Acapulco, damaged airports and left tens of thousands without power or cell phone service.