During the early hours of October 25, the residents of Acapulco awoke to a devastating Category 5 storm, Hurricane Otis. The level of destruction in the city is unmatched by any other natural disaster in Mexico. The hurricane’s rage through Acapulco resulted in structures being torn apart, including several homes and high-rise buildings.
As it stands, the local government has reported nearly 100 people dead or missing. The debris and mudslides caused by Hurricane Otis blocked crews from traveling to the city to provide aid. To make matters worse, more than 10,000 utility poles were knocked down, halting any type of communications/internet across the region. It has been estimated that more than 220,000 homes and 80% of the hotel sector have been affected, and over 513,000 people lost power.
The lack of immediate aid from government officials meant that survivors of the aftermath had no food or water. Not only that, thousands of families were left displaced as their homes were destroyed in the storm. The federal government earlier this month announced a 15 billion reconstruction plan with aid for families and small business owners impacted by the hurricane. After the roads were cleared of the wreckage, over 8,000 members of Mexico’s army, air force, and national guard were sent to provide citizens with basic necessities. Along with the Mexican Red Cross, who is now in the process of delivering 75 tons of humanitarian aid to those in need.
“The truth is people are desperate because of the gasoline – some want to leave, others want to work … I hope people don’t riot because it’s getting serious now,” said Juan Carlos Garcia, local resident of Acapulco.
The destruction wrought by Otis has added to concerns about the impact of climate change. Meteorologists and climate scientists say warming oceans and other contributing factors of climate change mean we’re likely to see more extreme weather/nature disasters in the future.
“We would not see as strong of hurricanes if we didn’t have the warm ocean and Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico … That is the fuel,” exclaimed Weather Channel meteorologist Richard Knabb (per CBS News).
Now weeks after Otis went from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in a record 12 hours, the city of Acapulco is focusing it’s efforts in recovery. Still, residents around the area have organized themselves to pile branches and open paths through the streets. Efforts from humanitarian organizations, and volunteer groups, have made progress on rebuilding the destroyed structures. The president has also sent more than 1,000 workers to rebuild the grid so water service can be restored within the city.