- At least six businesses have reopened in Acapulco in recent days after Hurricane Otis devastated the city
- Bars and restaurants have limited themselves to offering menus with easy-to-prepare dishes and drinks
- The hurricane damaged 36,000 people and caused at least $20 million in damage
Local bars and restaurants are slowly returning to business nearly two weeks after Hurricane Otis devastated the resort town of Acapulco on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
According to Mexican newspaper El Universal, at least six businesses on Costera Miguel Alemán Avenue have already opened their doors to customers.
While it was clear they missed the lively atmosphere that existed before the arrival of the Category 5 storm on the night of October 25, a band hired to play at the La Costeña bar reassured patrons that normalcy was on the way used to be.
‘Acapulco stands. Acapulco is a party,” the Descarga singer told the small crowd of visitors. “And we want you to have fun tonight and forget everything we’ve been through. Thanks to you, Acapulco will shine again.”
According to the Confederation of Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism, Hurricane Otis, the most powerful on record resulting from a landfalling tropical cyclone in the eastern Pacific Ocean, damaged 36,000 businesses in Acapulco, including hotels.
Customers returned to Cerveceria Patrona in Acapulco last week. It is a business of six that reopened on Costera Miguel Alemán Avenue after Hurricane Otis devastated the Pacific coast resort on October 25.
Hurricane Otis, the strongest on record for a landfalling tropical cyclone in the eastern Pacific Ocean, damaged 36,000 businesses, including hotels, in Acapulco
About 8,000 to 10,000 businesses had insurance for damage caused by hurricanes, floods and earthquakes.
At least 26,000 people do not have any protection, meaning they would either have to apply for bank loans to cover repair costs or be forced to close.
La Costeña was back up and running on Saturday after bar staff came together to help the owner with repairs before electricity and running water were restored.
Juan Valente, a waiter, told El Universal that the bar opened its doors at 4:30 p.m. and customers slowly started pouring in within half an hour, although the menu was limited to basic foods.
“The influx of customers has been more or less,” he said.
The owners of the five other companies near La Costeña decided to resume operations to ensure that their employees’ income would flow and that they would receive money to cover their basic needs, their legal representative, Martín Andrade, said , to El Universal.
Customers returned to Cerveceria Patrona in Acapulco last week. It is a business of six that reopened on Costera Miguel Alemán Avenue after Hurricane Otis devastated the Pacific coast resort on October 25.
Workers from Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources worked Sunday to remove trees damaged by Hurricane Otis in Acapulco
Residents have complained about the government’s slow response to help those affected by Hurricane Otis in Acapulco
Entrepreneurs inventory the damage caused by Hurricane Otis at a company in Acapulco
“Staff have been out of work for more than a week and need to generate some form of resources for their daily lives as there has been little support from the authorities, both for the business owners and the population themselves,” Andrade said. .
All five businesses reported a combined 50 percent influx of customers — all locals — on Saturday as customers consumed liquor, traditional Mexican meals, as well as chicken wings and burgers.
“Acapulco is a party place, where generations have had a great time and we can’t make this look like it’s a cemetery. We have to stand up and give it our all,” Andrade said.
Early figures estimate that damage from Hurricane Otis could exceed $20 billion.
Last Wednesday, President Andrés Manuel López announced that a $3.4 billion aid package would go to those directly affected by the storm.