YIKES: Acapulco, Mexico is expected to be hit by a Category 5 hurricane tonight

[catbyte]

Link to tweet

Colin McCarthy
@US_Stormwatch

In a shocking turn of events, Hurricane #Otis in the Eastern Pacific has unexpectedly, explosively intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in just 12 hours.

Even worse, the storm is expected to make a catastrophic landfall tonight as a Category 5 hurricane near Acapulco, Mexico, home to 1 million people.

Only 18 hours ago, people were expecting a tropical storm at landfall, and now a devastating Category 5 storm is likely.

This is pretty much a worst-case scenario, as residents have little time to find a safe shelter and protect life and property from this life-threatening storm.

A major hurricane (Category 3+) has never made landfall within 50 miles of Acapulco, let alone a Category 5 hurricane.

Otis could become the first Eastern Pacific hurricane ever recorded to make landfall as a Category 5 in Mexico.

Anyone in or near Acapulco should rush storm preparations to completion as there is little time left to shelter from #Otis.

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[cate94]

1. Great...

I am on a ship in the Pacific, south of there heading in that direction. I doubt we’ll be making our scheduled stop in Acapulco Friday if it is as bad as they are predicting. I hope they are wrong, not for us but for the people who live there. Sounds very scary.

[catbyte]

3. Oh, wow.

I hope it doesn't derail your cruise. I know that's secondary to everything, but still.

[cate94]

4. We're safe

In Guatemala next stop was to be Acapulco. Unless we are dropping supplies I am sure we won’t stop. It looks devastating there. Sad really. They had no time to prepare.

[Cheezoholic]

2. 160 gusts to 180

Making landfall now. Crazy shit. Wont be pretty in the morning. Major damage will continue inland from extremely heavy rain as it up-slopes and dissipates nearly as quickly as it intensified, Last NHC update....

ZCZC MIATCDEP3 ALL
TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM

Hurricane Otis Discussion Number 12
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL EP182023
1000 PM CDT Tue Oct 24 2023

A nightmare scenario is unfolding for southern Mexico this evening
with rapidly intensifying Otis approaching the coastline. Satellite
images show that Otis has continued to intensify, with Dvorak
Data-T estimates between 130-145 kt during the past few hours. The
initial wind speed is set to 140 kt as a blend of these values,
making Otis a Category 5 hurricane. Otis has explosively
intensified 95 kt during the past 24 hours, a mark only exceeded in
modern times by Patricia in 2015.

Otis should maintain category 5 status before the hurricane makes
landfall near the Acapulco area overnight or early on Wednesday.
The only significant change to mention to the track forecast is
that it has been shifted to the right due to a recent wobble to the
east and the latest model trends, and a general north-northwest
motion at about 8 kt is anticipated through landfall. Rapid
weakening is anticipated after landfall, and Otis should dissipate
tomorrow night over the higher terrain of Mexico.

This 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. There are
no hurricanes on record even close to this intensity for this part
of Mexico.


Key Messages:

1. Otis is forecast to be a potentially catastrophic Category 5
hurricane when it reaches the southern coast of Mexico early
Wednesday. Life-threatening hurricane-force winds are expected in
portions of the Hurricane Warning area with catastrophic damage
expected.

2. A potentially catastrophic storm surge is expected to produce
life-threatening coastal flooding near and to the east of where the
center makes landfall. Near the coast, the surge will be
accompanied by large and destructive waves.

3. Heavy rains from Otis will continue to impact areas of southwest
Mexico this week. This rainfall will produce flash and urban
flooding, along with mudslides in areas of higher terrain.


FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INIT 25/0300Z 16.1N 99.7W 140 KT 160 MPH
12H 25/1200Z 17.3N 100.1W 105 KT 120 MPH...INLAND
24H 26/0000Z 18.0N 100.5W 45 KT 50 MPH...INLAND
36H 26/1200Z...DISSIPATED

$$
Forecaster Blake