Before the storm hit, Acapulco was a beautiful place to visit. Now, it lies in ruins. It is “hurricane season,” so scientists knew hurricanes were a possibility. However, they didn’t expect the speed of the storm, later named Hurricane Otis, to gain that much strength. Meteorologists say that Otis’ wind speed increased by 115 mph in one day. This makes Otis’ intensification rate the second-fastest in recorded history.

There are conflicting reports as to how many are dead, with some saying 48 are dead, but others claim there are 47 dead, with 54 labeled as missing. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador asserts that his opponents, led by former Indigenous Affairs Official Xochitl Galvez, are inflating the death toll to damage him politically. This doesn’t change the fact that hundreds of families await word from missing loved ones.

It is understandable that the government has been slow to respond, as no one could have predicted the damage of Otis. However, residents of Acapulco are becoming desperate.

Government action aside, Otis was one of the deadliest hurricanes in recorded history. It is the only one meteorologists know of to remain a Category 5 hurricane after making landfall in the eastern Pacific. 

Many have put up missing posters and reached out on social media for information about their loved ones. Others whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed by the chart-topping storm have taken physical action. Residents of the poor areas in Acapulco have blocked one of two roads into the city, promising to stop the blockade in exchange for aid. They believe that the governments focus on the tourist areas, instead of the residential areas.

While many would believe this would be a rare occurrence, experts say this “rapid intensification” could become more common.

Hurricanes get their fuel from the warm ocean below them. Due to the warming of the planet, as well as oceans, hurricanes are going to get stronger, more rapidly.

Residents of Acapulco are willing to do anything to get help. Their livelihoods are gone, and their homes are destroyed. The strength of the storm and speed of the strength increase are thought to be a side effect of climate change. If humanity is not careful, storms as strong and unpredictable as Hurricane Otis will be much more common.