Aerial Footage Shows Devastation After Acapulco Ravaged by Hurricane Otis

New footage of a city in Mexico has showed the extent of damage caused by Hurricane Otis, which swept over Mexico this week.

Otis struck the southwest of Mexico as a Category 5 storm on Wednesday and caused widespread devastation, destroying buildings, causing floods and shutting down communications. The storm has so far killed at least 27 people, according to the Mexican government. Wind speeds of 165 miles per hour were recorded, Reuters said.

A video shot from a helicopter over Acapulco, a city of approximately 900,000 people, illustrates the extent of the destruction.

The footage posted on X, formerly Twitter, by user Volcaholic shows the beach resort ravaged by the hurricane, with numerous boats in the harbor and bay upturned or submerged. Debris from buildings and trees can be seen strewn over what would usually be popular spots for tourists and locals.

A GIF posted by severe weather follower Nahel Belgherze shows a before and after of an apartment block, with the glazed shell of the building almost completely blown out.

Belgherze said on Twitter: "Hurricane Otis will more than likely go down as one of the costliest tropical cyclones ever recorded on Earth. Acapulco has literally been torn apart. Destruction everywhere."

The hurricane flooded a local hospital, which had to evacuate its staff and patients, Reuters said.

The Mexican government declared a state of emergency in the Guerrero region, which encompasses Apapulco. The army and national guard have been deployed to the area to assist with clean-up efforts.

Erik Lozoya, a professional magician, told Reuters he endured "three hours of terror" with his wife and two baby daughters during the storm. Sheltering in their Acapulco hotel room, winds from Otis were so strong that windows smashed.

"It literally felt as though our ears were going to explode," said Lozoya, 26, who barricaded himself into a bathroom with the family and four other people. "We saw mattresses, water tanks flying. The ceiling began to cave in."

The hurricane was fueled by a surge of ocean warmth, which is becoming more common as global temperatures increase. Otis's wind speeds increased by about 110 mph within 24 hours, meaning people in areas such as Acapulco had little time to prepare.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) described Otis as a "life-threatening storm surge" which would bring large and dangerous waves, destructive winds and heavy rainfall. America's National Hurricane Center said: "There are no hurricanes on record even close to this intensity for this part of Mexico."

Newsweek has contacted the NOAA for comment via email.