Mexico’s southern coast braced for Hurricane Otis on Wednesday because the Category 5 storm made landfall close to the seashore resorts of Acapulco, with the potential to trigger “catastrophic damage,” the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) mentioned.

The hurricane reached land close to Acapulco, bringing most sustained winds round 165 mph (270 kmh) and heavy rain, the middle mentioned.

The storm may convey as much as 20 inches (51 cm) of rain in components of Guerrero and Oaxaca, with the potential of flash floods and mudslides, a “potentially catastrophic” storm surge, and “life-threatening” surf and rip present circumstances, authorities mentioned.

Mexico’s nationwide water company CONAGUA warned of six-to-eight-meter surf off Guerrero state, residence to Acapulco, and likewise off components of Oaxaca state.

By 9 p.m. on Tuesday (0300 GMT), Otis was about 55 miles south-southeast of Acapulco and blowing most sustained winds of 160 mph (257 kph), the Miami-based NHC added.

In Guerrero, authorities have been getting ready storm shelters and the nationwide guard mentioned it was serving to to arrange for rescues and evacuations.

The protection ministry enacted a catastrophe plan forward of the storm’s arrival, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador mentioned on social media late on Tuesday, as troopers patrolled Acapulco’s emptying seashores.

Schools throughout Guerrero canceled lessons for Wednesday forward of Otis’ arrival, Governor Evelyn Salgado mentioned on social media.