Hurricane Otis by Ivan Macías
The impact of Hurricane Otis has left a profound scar on Mexico’s Pacific coast, marking a dark chapter in the region’s meteorological history. In less than 24 hours, this phenomenon escalated from a Category 1 to Category 5 hurricane, in a process known as ‘rapid intensification’. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration described it as an unprecedentedly intense hurricane in that part of Mexico, and its assault on the city was devastating.
On 25 October 2023, the storm made landfall, with winds of up to 330 kilometres per hour (205 mph) leaving a trail of destruction. According to the Mexican government, the hurricane affected approximately 250,000 families (around one million people) as it ruthlessly cut down and destroyed, uprooted trees, brought down power lines, and triggered floods and landslides that plunged the city into chaos. Funeral homes reported 350 deaths.
