Without electricity and without communication: the damage that Hurricane Otis leaves behind in Acapulco

Acapulco is trying to recover after Hurricane Otis, which has left one of the main tourist destinations in Mexico, located in the southern state of Guerrero, cut off.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
25 October 2023 Wednesday 11:28
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Without electricity and without communication: the damage that Hurricane Otis leaves behind in Acapulco

Acapulco is trying to recover after Hurricane Otis, which has left one of the main tourist destinations in Mexico, located in the southern state of Guerrero, cut off. The devastating cyclone has left multiple damages in its wake, such as falling trees or failures in the electrical network, although the authorities have not yet offered the official balance sheet.

According to the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), the hurricane caused more than half a million people to be left without power at some point during Hurricane Otis. In its latest update, the organization reported that the service of 202,932 users has been restored, that is, 40%. In addition, the passage of the powerful cyclone caused the collapse of 58 high-tension structures.

Acapulco remains incommunicado. The impact of Otis, one of the most powerful cyclones in history, has caused multiple damages to land roads. Traffic in that coastal area has been paralyzed, except at kilometer 360 of the Mexico-Acapulco highway, where emergency vehicles or authorities are allowed to pass.

Even Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was trapped on the road when trying to access the city. After a long wait, he was able to enter through that route along with other members of his executive, although he returned by helicopter to Mexico City.

In addition to the problems in telecommunications and the electrical grid, Hurricane Otis has caused extensive material damage to some of the buildings located on the Coastal Highway, which is located right in front of the Pacific Ocean.

Otis, considered one of the most powerful cyclones in the history of the Pacific, was located on land 25 kilometers north of Ciudad Altamirano, and 205 kilometers north-northwest of Acapulco, towns of Guerrero, according to the latest warning from the National Meteorological Service. (SMN).

In the last few hours, the powerful cyclone was reduced to a low pressure storm during its passage over the state of Michoacán, neighboring the southern state of Guerrero, according to the SNM, although it noted that the rains will continue throughout the day.