Hurricane Otis has left a path of destruction in the famous seaside resort of Acapulco. Thousands of tourists are to be taken out of the city by bus. An airlift is being set up to supply the population.
Two days after the devastating hurricane “Otis” on the Mexican Pacific coast, clean-up work continues. Thousands of soldiers and other emergency services cleared fallen trees and debris from the streets of the famous seaside resort of Acapulco and neighboring towns on Thursday, authorities said. In addition, the previously buried and flooded highway between the holiday resort and the capital Mexico City, around 480 kilometers away, was reopened after clean-up work.
“Otis” hit the coast on Wednesday night with sustained wind speeds of almost 270 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 330 kilometers per hour. In just twelve hours it had been upgraded from a tropical storm to an extremely dangerous hurricane. At least 27 people were killed and four others are missing.
Airlift to supply the population
The governor of the southern state of Guerrero, Evelyn Salgado, said around 80 percent of the hotels in Acapulco were damaged by the hurricane. Stranded tourists should be taken out of the city on buses, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said. According to media reports, more than 100,000 holidaymakers were temporarily stuck in the coastal town.
Cars and debris on a flooded street in Acapulco.
According to Obrador, the population should now be supplied with food via an airlift, among other things. According to media reports, there were numerous lootings in supermarkets and other stores. Large areas of people were without electricity, fuel and telephones – the storm tore off the facades of houses and caused windows to burst.
A man walks through a looted supermarket in Acapulco.
The airport and gas stations remain closed
In Acapulco, many people were only able to get around on foot through flooded streets blocked by debris. The tourist resort’s airport and most gas stations remained closed. The cyclone also caused severe damage in surrounding towns.
Acapulco is known for its cliff divers and luxury hotels. The holiday destination is also very popular with low-budget tourists. However, due to rampant violent crime, fewer and fewer tourists have recently come from abroad. Today it is primarily the residents of Mexico City who spend their holidays or long weekends there.