By The newspaper
26 Oct 2023, 00:06 AM EDT
Acapulco, one of Mexico’s iconic tourist destinations, is dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Otis, and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s trip to assess the damage hit a major roadblock.
The hurricane, which quickly intensified into a Category 5 storm, caused extensive damage along its path and left a trail of destruction.
President López Obrador, who decided to evaluate the impact of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, began a trip to the city, but his convoy was abruptly stopped on the highway leading to the popular resort.
The reason for this unexpected road blockage was the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Otis, which made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
The arrest of the presidential vehicle occurred at kilometer 320 in the municipality of Juan R. Escudero, near Chilpancingo, capital of the state of Guerrero, according to the EFE agency.
This place served as the setting for President López Obrador to receive a comprehensive report from the Security Cabinet, including officials from the Secretariat of National Defense and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection.
Hurricane Otis: rapid intensification
The notable intensification of Hurricane Otis, which went from tropical storm to Category 5 hurricane in less than 12 hours, took many by surprise. Its landfall early Wednesday marked it as one of the most powerful cyclones in history. The damage and disruption it has caused is still being assessed.
When evaluating the situation, President López Obrador confirmed road closures in the region, but assured that the Mexican Army, in collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation, is deploying machinery to expedite the reopening of the highway.
The aftermath of Hurricane Otis has caused road closures, river overflows, and falling rocks, effectively isolating a substantial portion of Guerrero’s southern coast.
The effects of Hurricane Otis extend beyond road closures. The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) reported that the storm left more than half a million people without electricity. Additionally, mobile communications were severely affected, making assessment and response efforts even more difficult.
Its sudden intensification and trajectory towards Guerrero left the region temporarily isolated from communications and transportation. Consequently, the full extent of the damage remains to be quantified.
Keep reading:
· Hurricane Otis causes serious damage to main roads in Guerrero, Mexico
· Hurricane Otis: Why did it transform from category 1 to 5 in so few hours?
· AMLO reports that the area in Mexico impacted by Hurricane Otis is completely cut off