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<\/p>\nA "NIGHTMARE" hurricane slammed into Mexico's southern Pacific coast early this morning, threatening to bring deadly chaos.<\/p>\n
Hurricane Otis left people little time to prepare after rapidly intensifying from a tropical storm into a Category 5 hurricane in just 12 hours.<\/p>\n
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The hurricane made landfall at around 12.25am local time – unleashing the full force of its 165mph winds, heavy rains and powerful waves on the beach resort city of Acapulco and surrounding towns.<\/p>\n
Forecasters have predicted a "nightmare scenario" for the 350km-long stretch of coast where Otis made landfall.<\/p>\n
Residents of Guerrero's coast scrambled to get emergency shelters ready, but the Otis' sudden intensity appeared to catch many off guard.<\/p>\n
"We're on maximum alert," Acapulco Mayor Abelina Lpez said lastnight as she urged residents to hunker down at home or move to the city's shelters.<\/p>\n
Schools have been cancelled and soldiers are patrolling beaches.<\/p>\n The National Hurricane Center (NHC) added: \u201cThis is an extremely serious situation for the Acapulco metropolitan area with the core of the destructive hurricane likely to come near or over that large city early on Wednesday,\u201d <\/p>\n Acapulco is a city of more than one million people, where both luxury homes and slums alike cover the city's hillsides with views of the Pacific.<\/p>\n The NHC fears that the "extremely destructive" winds at the centre of the Otis could wreak havoc on the city and surrounding areas, CNN reports.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Already, local media is reporting that Otis' intense rains and winds have already led to flooding and damage in Acapulco, with roofs pictured completely ripped off.<\/p>\n Footage from this morning shows terrifyingly powerful winds threatening to topple trees and blowing beds around inside a makeshift shelter.<\/p>\n Between the internationally known resorts of Acapulco and Zihuatanejo are two dozen small towns and villages perched between the mountains and the ocean.<\/p>\n Otis is forecast to create a storm surge, whipping up "large and destructive waves" that could be life-threatening to these unprotected coastal areas where it made landfall.<\/p>\n The hurricane is expected to weaken as it moves inland and over Guerrero state's steep mountains.<\/p>\n However, its expected heavy rains of 8 to 17 inches will likely raise the threat of landslides and floods.<\/p>\n Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador urged people to move away from the sea, rivers and ravines and into emergency shelters.<\/p>\n There are fears that Otis could be more devastating than Hurricane Pauline that hit Acapulco in 1997.<\/p>\n The storm destroyed huge parts of the city and killed more than 200 people.<\/p>\n Hundreds of others were injured in flooding and mudslides that followed.<\/p>\n Guerrero is one of Mexico's most impoverished and violent states.<\/p>\n On Monday, a local police chief and 12 police officers were massacred and found on a highway in El Papayo – not far from Hurricane Otis' impact zone.<\/p>\n Otis' arrival came just days after Hurricane Norma struck the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula to the north.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/wed-shortly-afterwards-cruel-trolls-852778923.jpg\")
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