Hurricane Otis made landfall near the popular tourist town of Acapulco early Wednesday with strong winds and huge waves. The beaches, which are normally full of tourists, are now empty and there are floods in several places. Videos posted on social media show roofs and walls of houses torn up by the strong winds, and cars inundated by floodwaters in the state of Guerrero, writes the Reuters news agency. In addition, there are pictures from a hospital where nurses are evacuating patients to safer places. Mexico’s authorities have also reported power outages in large parts of the state and most flights to and from Acapulco are grounded due to the hurricane. The beaches at the tourist town of Acapulco were almost deserted before Hurricane Otis hit land on Wednesday morning. Photo: AP The army on standby Soldiers are now deployed in several places in the city, which has approximately 700,000 permanent residents. Authorities have also closed the port of Acapulco, which includes around 300 fishing boats. “Otis” is one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit Mexico’s Pacific coast. The hurricane was a category-5 hurricane on Monday, but was downgraded to a category-4 hurricane before it made landfall, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). The center fears that the damage could be catastrophic. – The preparations to protect life and property should be carried out as soon as possible, it says. The hurricane weakened and downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane after it made landfall. Nevertheless, the danger is not over, according to the Mexican water center, CONAGUA. The hurricane can still cause heavy rain, 6-8 meter high waves and flooding especially on the coast, according to the centre. The port city of Acapulco, and the two places Zihuanatejo in the west and Punto Maldonado in the east in the state of Guerrero. Between these two places the hurricane warning applies. Closed schools A hurricane warning has been issued along the coastline from Punta Maldonado westwards to Zihuatanejo. In Guerrero, the state government has 396 shelters ready for families who have to evacuate their homes due to strong winds and large amounts of water. – There will be no school classes in Guerrero on Wednesday, says Governor Evelyn Salgado on social media. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says that there have so far been no reports of deaths from the hurricane. He also warned that the authorities are struggling to get an overview of the situation. – The hurricane is still ravaging the area and all communications are down, he told reporters at a press conference. Over 8,000 soldiers from the Mexican army have been sent to the area with special equipment to assist in rescue operations. “Otis” can bring up to 51 centimeters of rain in the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca. It can lead to landslides, for example in steep mountain terrain.
ttn-69
Fears catastrophic damage after hurricane “Otis” – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
