Hurricane Otis slammed into Mexico’s southern Pacific coast as a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane early Wednesday, bringing 165 mph (270 kmh) winds and heavy rain to Acapulco and surrounding towns, stirring memories of a 1997 storm that killed dozens of people. The hurricane was expected to weaken quickly in Guerrero state’s steep mountains. Otis had strengthened rapidly, going from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in 12 hours Tuesday.
Javier Verdin/ReutersHurricane Otis made landfall in Mexico early Wednesday as a Category 5 storm, forecasters said, which could bring life-threatening winds, flooding, and mudslides. The National Hurricane Center said Otis’ maximum sustained winds hit 165 miles per hour as it came ashore near the city of Acapulco at around 12:25 a.m. local time. Hours earlier, the NHC warned that a “nightmare scenario is unfolding” as Otis “explosively intensified” during its approach to Mexico’s southern Pacif