Otis Batters Acapulco

The Mexican resort town of Acapulco was without power or communications and partially submerged under floodwaters yesterday after Hurricane Otis arrived in the early morning hours. A Category 5 storm, Otis is the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the Eastern Pacific on record.

The intensity of the storm caught both the city and meteorologists by surprise. As late as Tuesday, computer models predicted the system would reach peak winds of 70 mph. Instead, Otis rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane, with winds reaching 165 mph over the course of half a day. Researchers pointed to the combination of a warm patch of water, the storm's compact size, and a ventilating effect from the jet stream (hurricanes 101).

As of this writing, no deaths have been reported. See footage from the storm as it made landfall here.