Following the devastating impact of Hurricane Otis on the Mexican city of Acapulco, the area is now grappling with rampant looting. This record-breaking storm has tragically claimed the lives of at least 27 individuals and left thousands struggling to access essential supplies like food and water.
When Hurricane Otis struck Acapulco on October 25th, it brought with it winds reaching 165 miles per hour (266 km per hour). The city was inundated, homes lost their roofs, vehicles were submerged, and communication, road networks, and air travel were severely disrupted. This Category 5 storm left a trail of destruction amounting to billions of dollars.
Acapulco resident Rodolfo Villagomez, 57 years old, expressed the dire situation, saying, “Right now, money’s no use to us because there’s nothing to buy, everything’s been looted.” He added, “It was total chaos. You could hear it here hissing like a bull,” as reported by Reuters.
On the evening of Thursday, looting incidents occurred, with people taking goods such as food, water, and toilet paper from stores. “We came to get food because we don’t have any,” explained one woman to Reuters.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador acknowledged the looting, stating, “There were acts of looting in some places because there was an emergency,” and he urged residents not to exploit the situation. He promised government assistance, although some residents find it inadequate.
Raul Busto Ramirez, 76 years old, described the situation, saying, “All the stores are closed or destroyed,” and attributed the looting to shortages and non-functional ATMs.
The government has provided limited information about the death toll and the number of injured, only confirming that four people are missing. Mexican authorities deemed Hurricane Otis the most powerful storm ever to hit the Pacific coast of Mexico. It unexpectedly gained strength, defying weather forecast predictions.
President Obrador, while acknowledging the magnitude of the disaster, expressed gratitude, saying, “We were lucky. Nature, the creator protected us, even with the fury of the hurricane.” He noted that the material damage is substantial, but the loss of life has been comparatively low.
The full extent of the damage caused by Otis is yet to be assessed by the government. Enki Research, a tropical storm tracking entity, estimated the damage to be “approaching $15 billion,” according to Reuters.
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