Hurricane Otis kills at least 27 in Mexico as Acapulco continues to count casualties
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A day after disastrous Hurricane Otis made landfall on Mexico's southern coast as a Category 5 storm, authorities have released the first causality toll. Thursday morning, officials reported 27 confirmed deaths and at least four people still missing, as well as tens of thousands of residents left without power or clean water in Acapulco.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said in a press conference early Thursday that the government is working to restore electricity and begin the cleanup of the destruction left in the storm's path. Photos and videos from the southern state of Guerrero show flooded streets, downed powerlines and debris from partially collapsed buildings strewn in the roads, posing a communication barrier that López Obrador acknowledges impacted government response times.
Roughly 10,000 military troops and hundreds of trucks tasked with restoring power arrived in Acapulco Wednesday and Thursday, but seemed ill-equipped to actually handle the severity of the damage, the Associated Press reported.
Mexico grapples with disaster: Hurricane Otis strikes Acapulco as one of the strongest storms ever to hit Mexico
Road, air access to Acapulco remains limited
Road and air access were also cut off following the storm's impact and both remain questionable despite efforts to clear access to the seaport, the AP said. Authorities were able to partially open the main highway connecting Acapulco to Chilpancingo and Mexico City late Wednesday, allowing emergency responders and further aid to arrive.
"What Acapulco suffered was really disastrous," López Obrador said in Thursday's conference. “We regret the 27 dead."
Hurricane Otis is one of the strongest recorded storms to ever hit Mexico, reaching windspeeds of 165 mph at landfall.
López Obrador noted that no powerlines appeared to stay standing in the affected area, leaving residents without even cell service to call for help. Heavy flooding also triggered landslides and blanketed the ground with feet of thick, heavy mud. Forecasts predicted up to 15 inches of rain in some areas.
The full extent of damages and human toll remains unclear due to ongoing communications disruptions and difficult-to-navigate conditions.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Otis damage: 27 dead in Mexico, others still missing
