Hurricane Otis made a historic landfall near Acapulco, Mexico, at Category 5 intensity early Wednesday, packing destructive winds up to 165 mph.
Otis was the strongest hurricane to ever make landfall in Mexico and the first time an Eastern Pacific hurricane has ever made landfall at Category 5 intensity.
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The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said catastrophic damage was likely where the hurricane’s core moved onshore.
“A nightmare scenario is unfolding for southern Mexico this evening with rapidly intensifying Otis approaching the coastline,” the NHC warned in its forecast discussion Tuesday night after Otis intensified at an explosive rate. “… This is an extremely serious situation for the Acapulco metropolitan area with the core of the destructive hurricane likely to come near or over that large city early on Wednesday. There are no hurricanes on record even close to this intensity for this part of Mexico.”
Residents in southern Mexico were warned to brace for “potentially catastrophic” storm surge with “life-threatening” coastal flooding, huge waves, destructive winds and flooding rainfall.
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President Andres Manuel said citizens should “agree to move to shelters, stay in safe places: away from rivers, streams, ravines and be alert.”
Footage recorded by X user David Hall shows palm trees swaying in strong wind and driving rain.
Otis is expected to produce rainfall totals between 8 and 16 inches, with maximum amounts up to 20 inches, through Thursday across the state of Guerrero and the western coastal sections of Oaxaca. This rainfall will produce flash and urban flooding, along with mudslides in higher-terrain areas.
The NHC said Otis will track toward the north-northwest through Wednesday night and continue to move inland across southern Mexico until it dissipates.