Hurricane Otis death toll rises but number of missing in Acapulco remains unclear
Hurricane Otis is thought to be the worst disaster to strike Acapulco, Mexico, since Hurricane Pauline flooded the region in 1997.
Hurricane Otis causes extensive damage in Acapulco's coastal area
Powerful Hurricane Otis made landfall in Acapulco, Mexico, on Wednesday, leaving a trail of devastation behind.
MEXICO CITY – As calls for help grow from the worst-hit communities in the Mexican state of Guerrero, the country’s death toll was reported to have risen to at least 39 on Saturday after Category 5 Hurricane Otis made landfall Wednesday.
Residents around Acapulco were seen digging through debris days after the storm, but it remains unclear how many people are still missing.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador released a lengthy video statement Saturday but did not address how many victims could still be in need of assistance following the storm.
A government report stated that 80% of hotels and resorts were damaged, which tend to be the more substantial structures in communities.
Video taken at the Hotsson Hotel in Acapulco during the storm showed people huddling in an interior room as windows were blown out, and witnesses said it felt like the building was depressurized.
HURRICANE OTIS LEAVES BEHIND 'NIGHTMARE SCENARIO' AFTER STRIKING ACAPULCO, MEXICO
![View of a building partially destroyed after the passage of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, on October 26, 2023.]()
Image 1 of 7View of a building partially destroyed after the passage of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, on October 26, 2023. (RODRIGO OROPEZA/AFP)
![Roadways blocked trying to reach hard-hit coastal town in Mexico from Hurricane Otis.]()
Image 2 of 7Roadways blocked trying to reach hard-hit coastal town in Mexico from Hurricane Otis. (Mexico National Guard )
![Otis storm damage in Acapulco. Oct. 25, 2023.]()
Image 3 of 7Otis storm damage in Acapulco. Oct. 25, 2023. (Proteccion Civil / X)
![A graphic showing information on Hurricane Otis' historic landfall near Acapulco, Mexico, on October 25, 2023.]()
Image 4 of 7A graphic showing information on Hurricane Otis' historic landfall near Acapulco, Mexico, on October 25, 2023. ( )
![Otis storm damage in Acapulco. Oct. 25, 2023.]()
Image 5 of 7Otis storm damage in Acapulco. Oct. 25, 2023. (Proteccion Civil / X)
![View of the damage caused after the passage of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, on October 25, 2023.]()
Image 6 of 7View of the damage caused after the passage of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, on October 25, 2023. (FRANCISCO ROBLES/AFP)
![View of the damage caused after the passage of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, on October 25, 2023.]()
Image 7 of 7View of the damage caused after the passage of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, on October 25, 2023. (FRANCISCO ROBLES/AFP)
"I am writing to you from the Hotsson Hotel in Acapulco," Erik Fellini wrote while riding out the hurricane in the resort. "We have been in terror for an hour. The hurricane is destroying everything, the water entered the room on the 8th floor. The noise in the air is impressive, glass in the rooms is breaking, the hotel moves as if it were an earthquake."
Unlike previous tropical cyclones, Otis impacted a heavily populated region along the coast that more than a million residents call home.
Mexican officials have also not addressed how many tourists they believe remain stranded in the southwestern region of the country.
Acapulco International Airport suffered significant damage during the hurricane but has resumed some operations.
SEE HURRICANE OTIS' WIDESPREAD DAMAGE TO ACAPULCO, MEXICO THROUGH SATELLITE IMAGES
Celebrity chef José Andrés, who leads a group of volunteers that provide meals to communities suffering from disasters said that in the early days after the historic storm, it was impossible to land supplies in the area due to the damage.
The Mexican government said it has resources in place to feed more than 7,000 people, but it is unclear if the mobile kitchens were positioned where residents in the worst-hit areas could reach them.
Video from Reuters showed looting of stores and buildings as people began to search for food, water and other supplies during the long recovery process.