View of the damage caused after the passage of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, on October 26, 2023. Hurricane Otis caused at least 27 deaths and major damage as it lashed Mexico's resort city of A...View of the damage caused after the passage of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, on October 26, 2023. Hurricane Otis caused at least 27 deaths and major damage as it lashed Mexico's resort city of Acapulco as a scale-topping category 5 storm, officials said Thursday, in what residents called a "total disaster." Otis crashed into Acapulco with furious winds of 165 miles (270 kilometers) per hour, shattering windows, uprooting trees and largely cutting off communications and road links with the region. (Photo by RODRIGO OROPEZA / AFP) (Photo by RODRIGO OROPEZA/AFP via Getty Images)MORE LESS
The Mexican city of Acapulco was hit Thursday by Hurricane Otis, packing 165 m.p.h. winds, the strongest tropical cyclone ever to strikes the country’s Pacific coast. In under 24 hours, Otis rapidly strengthened from a tropical storm not even expected to come ashore into a Category 5 hurricane bearing down on a major city, catching forecasters, civil defense officials, tourists and residents off guard. Otis caused massive structural damage along the coast and left at least 27 people dead. Damages and casualties are still being assessed.
A Woman Amid the Mud and Debris
A woman stand amid mud and debris at the Kilometro 42 community, near Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, after the passage of Hurricane Otis, on October 25, 2023. (Photo by RODRIGO OROPEZA/AFP via Getty Images)
A Boy With a Mexican Flag Receives a Relief Package
A boy with a Mexican flag receives a relief package after Hurricane Otis in Guerrero, Mexico on October 29, 2023. (Photo by Silvana Flores/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and His Cabinet
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (C) and members of his cabinet walk through mud as they visit the Kilometro 42 community, near Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, after the passage of Hurricane Otis, on October 25, 2023. (Photo by RODRIGO OROPEZA/AFP via Getty Images)
Aerial view of a destroyed building and debris left after the passage of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, on October 26, 2023. Hurricane Otis caused at least 27 deaths and major damage as it lashed Mexico’s resort city of Acapulco as a scale-topping category 5 storm, officials said Thursday, in what residents called a “total disaster.” Otis crashed into Acapulco with furious winds of 165 miles (270 kilometers) per hour, shattering windows, uprooting trees and largely cutting off communications and road links with the region. (Photo by RODRIGO OROPEZA / AFP) (Photo by RODRIGO OROPEZA/AFP via Getty Images)
President Obrador Inspects the Kilometro 42 Community
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (C) and members of his cabinet visit the Kilometro 42 community, near Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, after the passage of Hurricane Otis, on October 25, 2023. (Photo by RODRIGO OROPEZA/AFP via Getty Images)
President Obrador Addresses the Media Following Hurricane Otis
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, President of Mexico, projects a slide of photographer Kevin Carter (13 September 1960 – 27 July 1994), during a message to the media at the National Palace in Mexico City, following the damage caused by Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Guerrero, (Photo by Gerardo Vieyra/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Devastated Streets
General view of the streets with debris after hurricane Otis hit Acapulco on October 25, 2023 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Oscar Guerrero Ramirez/Getty Images)
A Looter Carries a Shopping Cart Full of Goods
A looter carries a shopping cart full of goods stolen from a supermarket after the passage of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, on October 25, 2023. Mexican authorities rushed to send emergency aid, restore communications and assess damage in the Pacific beach resort of Acapulco on Wednesday after a powerful hurricane left a trail of destruction and tourists stranded. (Photo by FRANCISCO ROBLES / AFP) (Photo by FRANCISCO ROBLES/AFP via Getty Images)
A Man Surveys the Scene Outside a Circle K
View of the damage caused after the passage of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, on October 25, 2023. (Photo by FRANCISCO ROBLES/AFP via Getty Images)
Car Caravans
Car caravans are seen in a highway after hurricane Otis hit Acapulco on October 25, 2023 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Oscar Guerrero Ramirez/Getty Images)
Military Members Work In a Landslide
Military members work in a landslide after hurricane Otis hit Acapulco on October 25, 2023 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Oscar Guerrero Ramirez/Getty Images)
Destroyed Shopping Mall
General view of a shopping mall destroyed after hurricane Otis hit Acapulco on October 25, 2023 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Oscar Guerrero Ramirez/Getty Images)
Residents In The Mud
Residents carry a shopping cart with goods from a looted supermarket after hurricane Otis hit Acapulco on October 25, 2023 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Oscar Guerrero Ramirez/Getty Images)
Residents Look at Debris
Residents look at debris in the streets after Hurricane Otis hit Acapulco on October 25, 2023 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Oscar Guerrero Ramirez/Getty Images)
A Woman Walks Among the Debris
A woman walks among the debris left after the passage of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, on October 26, 2023. (Photo by RODRIGO OROPEZA/AFP via Getty Images)
Military Members Work in a Landslide
Military members work in a landslide after hurricane Otis hit Acapulco on October 25, 2023 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Oscar Guerrero Ramirez/Getty Images)
A Sunken Car
A car is seen sunk after hurricane Otis hit Acapulco on October 25, 2023 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Oscar Guerrero Ramirez/Getty Images)
TOPSHOT – Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador looks out of the window as the vehicle transporting his is stuck in mud during a visit to the Kilometro 42 community, near Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, after the passage of Hurricane Otis, on October 25, 2023. Mexican authorities rushed to send emergency aid, restore communications and assess damage in the Pacific beach resort of Acapulco on Wednesday after a powerful hurricane left a trail of destruction and tourists stranded. (Photo by RODRIGO OROPEZA / AFP) (Photo by RODRIGO OROPEZA/AFP via Getty Images)
A Dog Rests Near The Debris
A dog is seen near a debris site after hurricane Otis hit Acapulco on October 25, 2023 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Oscar Guerrero Ramirez/Getty Images)
A Shopping Cart Full of Loot
A resident carries a shopping cart with goods from a looted supermarket after hurricane Otis hit Acapulco on October 25, 2023 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Oscar Guerrero Ramirez/Getty Images)
Devastated Streets
General view of the streets with debris after hurricane Otis hit Acapulco on October 25, 2023 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Oscar Guerrero Ramirez/Getty Images)
A Man Observes the Shopping Mall
General view of a shopping mall destroyed after hurricane Otis hit Acapulco on October 25, 2023 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Oscar Guerrero Ramirez/Getty Images)
A Swimming Pool In the Middle of a Street
A swimming pool is seen in the street after hurricane Otis hit Acapulco on October 25, 2023 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Oscar Guerrero Ramirez/Getty Images)
A Person Operates a Bulldozer
A person operates a bulldozer in a landslide after hurricane Otis hit Acapulco on October 25, 2023 in Acapulco, Mexico. (Photo by Oscar Guerrero Ramirez/Getty Images)
Looting? Foraging during an emergency might be a better way to put it. And since the photographer didn’t report anything about receipts, he doesn’t really know the provenance of the goods being transported.
There was an interview with security personnel. Residents were allowed to take necessary items - food, water, household necessities, even clothing from the stores. When they took the TVs and electronics, they were stopped, those items confiscated, and they were allowed to go on their way.
Looting? Foraging during an emergency might be a better way to put it. And since the photographer didn’t report anything about receipts, he doesn’t really know the provenance of the goods being transported.
There was an interview with security personnel. Residents were allowed to take necessary items - food, water, household necessities, even clothing from the stores. When they took the TVs and electronics, they were stopped, those items confiscated, and they were allowed to go on their way.