Hurricane Otis Slams Into Mexico, Causes Landslides; NHC Warns of 'Nightmare Scenario'

Yet another storm has slammed into the Pacific Coast of Mexico as Hurricane Otis brings rain, strong winds, and landslides. Now, the US National Hurricane Center is warning of a "nightmare scenario."

Hurricane Otis first made landfall in Acapulco, one of Mexico's premier beach destinations. It arrived as a Category 5 hurricane early Wednesday, leaving the resort city without any power. Officials are now only beginning to assess the damage the hurricane has caused to the city.

According to Yahoo! News, Hurricane Otis slammed near Acapulco at 12:25 AM, tearing through the coastal zone with torrential rains and 165 mph winds, which were so strong that it shook buildings and even tore the roofs off of buildings.

So far, there is still no word on casualties or how much damage Hurricane Otis has caused in Mexico. However, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was in Acapulco and held a news conference there, saying that contact with the area was "completely lost."

The government has sent relief crews and military aid units, as well as several volunteers, not just to Acapulco but to other nearby areas, as well as smaller towns around Guerrero State. However, landslides and debris made the search and rescue efforts much more complicated as they blocked major highways, shuttered airports, and caused rivers to overflow.

The NHC pointed out that the structure of how Acapulco has been planned could provide a nightmare scenario for many because of the many cliff-side communities vulnerable to landslides in the area. Other hillside neighborhoods on the path of the storm have also been deemed vulnerable.

Hurricane Otis Downs Communications, Complicates Rescue Efforts

Mexican officials are having trouble in assessing the damage, as well as reaching certain areas because of the landslides and flooding brought about by Hurricane Otis, reported CNN.

"We don't have a damage assessment because until now, there is no communication with Acapulco," said National Coordinator of Civil Protection Laura Velazquez during an interview. "We are going there because we do not have any communication with our colleagues who have already been there for a week doing preventive work for a tropical storm and which in 12 hours became a hurricane."

Over 500,000 customers are now also without power in the entire Guerrero state. However, authorities worked around the clock to restore the power, but so far, only 40% of those customers have had their power restored.

Hurricane Otis Caught Weather Forecasters and Experts Off-Guard

Hurricane Otis was a mild tropical storm that soon morphed into a monster Category 5 hurricane in record time, leaving many scientists baffled as the storm was far stronger than many of them predicted at the beginning.

According to the Associated Press, scientists are now scrambling for answers as their usually reliable computer models and forecasts failed to predict just how fast Otis intensified. Acapulco was only told to expect something as strong as a tropical storm, meaning it did not expect a Category 5 hurricane to hit.

In a span of a mere 12 hours, Otis more than doubled its strength. It went from 70 mph (113 kph) winds to 160 mph (257 kph), a new record. Storms usually gain or lose speed around 12 hours, with outliers reaching 30 to 50 mph in a day.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Hurricane Otis makes landfall in Acapulco, Mexico - 10 Tampa Bay