Acapulco, Mexico's famed coastal paradise, has been reduced to rubble after Hurricane Otis—a monstrous Category 5 storm—slammed into the region with winds of 165mph (270km/h). The hurricane, one of the strongest ever recorded in the Pacific, left a trail of destruction, flattening homes, uprooting trees, and triggering widespread flooding.
Unprecedented Destruction
Residents awoke to a nightmare as Otis made landfall near Acapulco early Wednesday, tearing through hotels, roads, and infrastructure. The storm's rapid intensification—from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in under 24 hours—caught many off guard, leaving little time for evacuation.
Emergency Response Underway
Mexican authorities have deployed military personnel and emergency teams to assist with search-and-rescue operations. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed at least 27 fatalities, with dozens more injured or missing. Power outages and communication blackouts have hampered relief efforts.
Tourist Hub in Ruins
Acapulco, a key tourist destination, now faces a long road to recovery. The hurricane's fury shattered windows, collapsed buildings, and left streets submerged under debris. The National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening storm surges and landslides as heavy rainfall continues.
Global weather experts are calling Otis one of the most devastating storms in Mexico's history, raising urgent questions about climate change's role in intensifying such disasters.
