Press "Enter" to skip to content

Heavy rains cause flooding and generate Civil Protection warnings for Riviera Maya

Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Extreme flooding in the south has left numerous families homeless, while intense rains in the north left many streets under water.

In the northern regions of the state, emergency personnel in Cancun have been attending to damage caused by the ongoing rains with reports of 60 liters of rain per square meter.

Local meteorologist Fabián Torres, reported that during a 12-hour rainfall, approximately 60 liters of water per square meter was recorded. The rain, he said, began in Cancun around 2:00 a.m. and continued until past noon.

Torres said that while there is no official pluviometric network, three or four areas around the state take precipitation readings.

“Although there is no official pluviometric network, there are three or four areas that take precipitation readings, so therefore, we can calculate proportionally whether or not it is an average rainfall,” he explained.

“A lot of moisture is starting to enter the Peninsula,” he said, explaining that remnants of Agatha will strengthen the system and generate even more rain across the Yucatan Peninsula in coming days.

These rains will be more or less of the same intensity as what the region has already seen, he said.

“It’s going to be rainy, although maybe Wednesday it will calm down a bit, on Thursday and Friday with the presence of the low pressure that is going to form supported by the remnants of Agatha, precipitation is expected.”

Tulum city officials have issued a rain warning for the municipality. On Tuesday, Tulum Civil Protection Coordination issued a cautionary warning to residents about the arrival of heavy rainfall.

https://twitter.com/Ayto_Tulum/status/1531678737057648640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Eembeddedtimeline%7Ctwterm%5Eprofile%3AAyto_Tulum%7Ctwgr%5EeyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3JlZnNyY19zZXNzaW9uIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9mZiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0Zndfc2Vuc2l0aXZlX21lZGlhX2ludGVyc3RpdGlhbF8xMzk2MyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJpbnRlcnN0aXRpYWwiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X3Jlc3VsdF9taWdyYXRpb25fMTM5NzkiOnsiYnVja2V0IjoidHdlZXRfcmVzdWx0IiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19%7Ctwcon%5Etimelinechrome&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Ftulum.gob.mx%2F

According to the notice, heavy rains are expected June 1, which the agency says, will increase progressively due to the interaction of the remnants of Agatha and the current instability along the Yucatan Peninsula.

In the south, nearly 200 families in the Ribera del Río Hondo have been affected by the intense rain. Some streets were turned into raging rivers that saw water run through homes.

Homes in the communities of Carlos A. Madrazo, El Palmar, Sac-Xán, Álvaro Obregón, Cacao and La Unión were the most affected.

Rene Misael Millán, representative of the Organized Society of Lifeguards (SOS), reported that families were forced to leave their homes due to rising water. Civil Protection was called to help those in need.

Landslides were recorded on some southern highways near the Esteban B. Calderón-La Unión section. Rains are forecast to continue for several more days.