Buildings blown away, destroyed, gutted, where a few hours before, the shoreline of Acapulco gave the air of a paradisiacal vacation. Hurricane Otis partially destroyed the Mexican beach town, leaving buildings shaken and residents in shock. Among the striking before-and-afters is a multi-story, new, $130 million, all-glass building, of which only the carcass now remains. Other buildings suffered extensive damage, such as the Fiesta Americana Villas hotel, whose windows were blown out.
Read alsoHurricane Otis: 27 dead and at least 4 missing in Acapulco, and gigantic damage
Hurricane Otis had not been anticipated by weather centers. The tropical storm off the Pacific should have moved along the coast at a safe distance. But what was supposed to be a small weather phenomenon turned into a devastating Category 24 hurricane in just 5 hours. This is the highest degree on the scale that measures the strength of these weather events. Alarms were only set off at the last minute, residents had little time to prepare for evacuation, and the city was placed in a state of emergency. At the moment, the Mexican government reports at least 27 dead and 4 missing, a toll that is expected to change over the hours.