Mexico — More than 40 have been killed due to flooding, landslides and river overflows. Torrential rains from two tropical storms Raymond and Priscilla are responsible.
At least 48 have been killed in Hidalgo, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí and Veracruz due to the torrential rains. Thousands of others remain affected by the water that left homes in ruins, some of which were buried in mudslides.
The death tolls have been reported as 22 in Hidalgo, 15 in Veracruz, 10 in Puebla and one in Querétaro. On Sunday, President Claudia Sheinbaum toured the heavily damaged areas where Marina and National Guard personnel are arriving with aid.
In compliance with the Government of Mexico’s National Security Strategy, the National Guard continues the relief phase of Plan DN-III-E in the states of Hidalgo, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí and Veracruz due to flooding, landslides and river overflows caused by torrential rains from tropical storms Raymond and Priscilla.
In Hidalgo, heavy rainfall caused damage to homes and roads, where personnel are helping remove debris, mud and fallen trees. They are also supporting the relocation of affected families to temporary shelter, in coordination with authorities.
In Querétaro, in municipalities such as Jalpan de Serra, Landa de Matamoros, Arroyo Seco, Pinal de Amoles, Peñamiller, San Joaquín, and Tolimán, National Guard troops are conducting patrols in the affected areas to assist families trapped inside their flooded homes.
In San Luis Potosí, troops are responding to municipalities in the Huasteca region, where the Axtla and Moctezuma rivers have overflowed. Homes are being evacuated and families are being relocated to temporary shelters, in addition to delivering food supplies and cleaning kits.
In Veracruz, together with Civil Protection personnel, assistance continues to be provided to the population of 14 municipalities affected by flooding following the intense rains.
Members of the National Guard are helping families leave their flooded homes and moving them to temporary shelters.
The Secretariat of the Navy reports that following the humanitarian actions deployed in areas affected by the rain, naval personnel have intensified assistance efforts to benefit the population in the affected municipalities.
Within the state of Veracruz, in the municipalities of Poza Rica and Álamo, more than 3,400 people have received warm food through mobile kitchens. Medical personnel are visiting homes to provide services. Water and food aid are being distributed. Bilge pumps are being used to drain neighborhoods
Two dozen access roads have been cleared by collecting three tons of garbage and removing 26 structures between trees and billboards that affected land communications.
In the state of Puebla, in the municipality of Huachinango, 535 people were evacuated. Similar actions are being implemented there with a water treatment plant, the distribution of food supplies and cooked food via a mobile kitchen.
Authorirties say 585 trees and billboards were removed, two tons of garbage was cleared and work is underway to dredge 13 communication routes.
Meanwhile, in the municipality of Tamazunchale, San Luis Potosí, a mobile kitchen is also in place. So far, 127 people have been evacuated. Medical services are being provided and four access roads have been cleared. In Metztitlán, Hidalgo, 200 naval personnel have been made available to support the clearing of access roads, along with 10 vehicles and four Zodiac-type boats.
President Claudia Sheinbaum led meetings Sunday with the governors of the affected states.
“Our solidarity and support go out to all those who lost a family member. The affected population will lack nothing. Members and teams from the Mexican government are deployed to open roads and assist the communities,” she reported.
The National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC), an agency of the Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection, indicated that the DN-III-E plans of the Ministry of National Defense (Defense), the Navy Plan of the Ministry of the Navy (Semar), as well as state and municipal emergency plans were activated.
The agency reported that from October 6 to 9, heavy rains were recorded in Veracruz (540 millimeters), Puebla (487 mm), San Luis Potosí (298 mm), Hidalgo (245 mm) and Querétaro (232 mm).
The DN-III-E Plan has 5,400 personnel deployed around the affected states to provide disaster relief.
The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) reported that 320,386 users were affected in the five states. The Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation (SICT) reported that 1,056 kilometers of federal highway network were affected due to flooding and landslides.
