Hurricane Otis smashes into Mexico’s southern coast
Hurricane Otis has made landfall on the coast of southern Mexico, bringing wind speeds of up to 165mph (270km/h).
It touched down near the popular Acapulco resort just after midnight on Wednesday (06:25 GMT), the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
Authorities have warned of a life-threatening storm surge and the possibility of landslides as heavy rain pelts the area.
The storm has already begun to weaken as it moves inland.
David Hall arrived at the Princess Mundo Imperial resort in Acapulco for a work conference hours before Otis made landfall. He told the BBC that the building had been damaged by the wind and rain.
He said the hotel room windows buckled from the force of the winds and smashed, sucking items out of the room.
He and hundreds of other guests at the hotel have been hunkering down together while the worst of the hurricane passes.
“A lot of people are scared,” said Mr Hall.
A hurricane warning is in effect for a 350km-long stretch of coastline between the coastal towns of Zihuatanejo and Punta Maldonado in the state of Guerrero.
Power outages have already been reported in Guerrero, according to Mexico’s civil protection body. School classes across the state were cancelled in preparation for the storm’s arrival.
Unverified videos posted online show damage to a hospital in Acapulco and flooding outside the Copacabana hotel.
Read more on BBC
Disclaimer:
The Views,Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements expressed by Readers and Contributors on this website do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Wohonsem.com. Wohonsem.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us.
