Hurricane Otis – Acapulco Disaster Response

Hurricane Otis made landfall near Acapulco on October 25, 2023, as a Category 5 hurricane, bringing sustained winds of up to 270 km/h. Flooding and landslides devastated communities and disrupted essential services. With drinking water networks damaged and healthcare facilities struggling to operate, access to safe water became an urgent priority. Working with Mexico’s Coordinación Nacional de Protección Civil, the Planet Water Foundation team identified communities with critical drinking water needs and deployed emergency water filtration systems across ten locations. Systems were deployed in two phases. The first installations took place in Acapulco de Juarez on November 11, followed by deployments between November 29 and December 3 in Plan de los Amates, La Poza, La Frontera, Llano Largo, Cumbres Llano Largo, and San Pedro las Playas. Together, these systems provided capacity to support up to 49,000 people. Additional systems were deployed in Puerto El Marques and in Caletas and in El Conchero. For residents, the installations helped ease the daily challenge of securing safe water after the hurricane. Eloisa Sánchez Sosa, La Frontera Commissioner, described having to walk through floodwater and garbage to collect water before the system was installed at a local church. “All the local families are coming to this center to fill up their containers with clean water to drink and cook with,” said Gregorio Pérez Palma, La Poza Commissioner. We are grateful to Alsea Foundation, BD, MetLife Foundation, and The Starbucks Foundation for making this response possible and helping bring safe drinking water to communities affected by Hurricane Otis.

Learn More About Our Work

Learn more about Planet Water Foundation’s work to provide safe drinking water to underserved communities and those affected by natural disasters.

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Planet Water Foundation logo

501(c)3 non-profit organization EIN 27-1236020

Our Address

U.S. HEADQUARTERS

P.O. Box #71298
Phoenix, AZ 85050 USA

© Copyright 2026, Planet Water Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

Get updates in your inbox

Subscribe to our newsletter

Planet Water Foundation logo

501(c)3 non-profit organization EIN 27-1236020

Our Address

U.S. HEADQUARTERS

P.O. Box #71298
Phoenix, AZ 85050 USA

© Copyright 2026, Planet Water Foundation. All Rights Reserved.