Mexicans prepare for arrival of Hurricane Otis on Pacific coast

Hurricane Otis strengthened from a tropical storm to a dangerous Category 4 hurricane in a matter of hours Tuesday as it approached Mexico’s southern Pacific coast, where it was forecast to make landfall near the resort of Acapulco early Wednesday possibly as a catastrophic Category 5 storm.

Mexico's army and navy deployed more than 8,000 troops to the area with specialized equipment to aid in rescues. Authorities closed Acapulco's port, home to some 300 fishing boats.