On Wednesday, October 25, category five hurricane Otis made landfall near Acapulco Mexico at 1:25 A.M with devastating effects.
When Otis formed off the gulf of Tehuantepec as a weak tropical storm, meteorologists and civilians alike were not able to foresee it turning into a category five tropical storm, but with unpredictable and intense wind speeds up to 165 mph, it quickly achieved that status.
Many of the lasting effects of Otis pertained to structural and natural damage to Acapulco and surrounding areas, with masses of collapsed buildings and severe landslides and flooding. Communication was heavily cut off in some areas making it hard for the world to see the impacts of Otis.
After the hurricane settled, people living in the affected areas had no drinking water, no power and minimal food. Nearby states such as Guerrero mobilized their local military to aid survivors and recovery efforts. Many other countries began sending aid packages filled with food, clothing and supplies. So far the hurricane has taken 48 lives while 58 people remain missing and billions of dollars was lost in damaged structures and property. The storm may have disappeared overnight, but the effects to the community have been long lasting.
