Climate change is making hurricanes so powerful and destructive that some scientists believe we need a new category to classify these worst-of-the-worst storms.
Recovery operations are continuing along Mexico’s Pacific coast nearly one week after Hurricane Otis caused catastrophic damage when it made landfall south of the popular tourist destination Acapulco, killing and injuring dozens of people.
Mexico's southern coast braced for Hurricane Otis on Wednesday as the Category 5 storm made landfall near the beach resorts of Acapulco, with the potential to cause "catastrophic damage," the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The hurricane reached land near Acapulco, bringing maximum sustained winds around 165 mph (270 kmh) and heavy rain, the center said. The storm could bring up to 20 inches (51 cm) of rain in parts of Guerrero and Oaxaca, with the possibility of flash floods and mudslides, a "potentially catastrophic" storm surge, and "life-threatening" surf and rip current conditions, authorities said.