Devastation and Recovery After Hurricane Otis Hits Acapulco: Updates on the Impact and Relief Efforts

48 Dead and Dozens Missing

Five days after the devastating passage of Hurricane Otis along the Pacific coast of Mexico, the provisional death toll reached 48 on Sunday, September 29, according to the Mexican civil defense agency.

The agency reported that 43 victims were in the beach town of Acapulco, while 5 were in Coyuca de Benitez. The governor of Guerrero state had previously stated that 36 people were missing. These are the first official figures from the towns near Acapulco, where most of the deaths and damage occurred.

The Mexican Foreign Ministry confirmed that 263 foreigners were in the port during the hurricane, including 34 Americans, 18 French, and 17 Cubans, all of whom were found safe and have since left Acapulco.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador flew over the disaster area on Sunday and met with officials in charge of relief operations.

The number of victims was initially slow to be determined due to the disruption of electricity and telecommunications, which have gradually been restored over the weekend.

Hurricane Otis Strikes with Devastating Force

Hurricane Otis rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane within six hours off the Pacific coast of Mexico. It made landfall with winds reaching 270 kilometers per hour, causing extensive destruction in the seaside resort of Acapulco, which has a population of approximately 780,000 and relies heavily on tourism. The hurricane weakened as it moved inland, but heavy rains continued to affect the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca, two of the country’s poorest regions.

The speed at which the hurricane developed left residents with little time to protect their homes or stock up on essential supplies.

The federal government reported over 273,000 homes and numerous hotels suffering varying degrees of damage. Additionally, 12 highways and roads remained blocked. Evelyn Salgado, the governor of Guerrero state, assured the public that progress is being made in the distribution of humanitarian aid.

According to Enki Research, a consulting firm specializing in natural disasters, the estimated cost of the damage caused by Hurricane Otis is around $15 billion (€14.2 billion).

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