Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Municipalities around the state have started prep work ahead of the official arrival of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. On Monday, the Quintana Roo State Civil Protection Coordination met with government authorities in Chetumal.
The main topic of discussion was flood prevention. Guillermo Núñez Leal, the General Director of the State Coordination of Civil Protection, says cleaning of storm drains began last week.
Several municipalities have already begun clearing city storm drains to help avoid floods with the arrival of heavy rain. The cities of Chetumal and Cancun have already been working for several days to make sure drains are cleared of debris.
“We are just days away from the start of the rainy and tropical storm season, so it is very important to keep our streets clean and clear our sewers to prevent flooding, which is commonly caused by garbage clogging the drains,” said Núñez Leal.
City dredging operations are being done in coordination with personnel from the State Government’s Ministry of Public Works, Drinking Water and Sewerage Commission (CAPA) and Civil Protection among others.
Núñez Leal said that a team of 140 operational personnel were deployed late last week in Chetumal to carry out cleanup work. The work, he explained, includes garbage and weed removal, tree trimming and the clearing of manholes.
Two backhoes, two cranes, a three-ton truck and five dump trucks for garbage collection were part of the cleanup crew on Constituyentes and Chetumal Avenues. Once there, crews located two rainwater collection channels and storm drains that were completely overrun with trash and leaves.
On Monday, Cancun Mayor Ana Paty Peralta continued dredging operations to clear city drains. Crews were sent out early Monday to resume the ongoing project of clearing 10 drains a day, she said.
“Every day, the Public Services Department team dredges 10 wells in different parts of the city, ensuring minimal impacts,” she said. On Monday, crews were in the residential area of SM 77 with their heavy equipement.
“Wells work properly when they’re clean,” she said Monday, “so I ask you to avoid littering in the streets.”
The town of Tulum also began preventative actions ahead of the official start of the rainy season. On Saturday, Tulum Civil Protection Director Sergio Amílcar Canto Contreras started a scheduled pruning operation in coordination with personnel from the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE). The goal is to prevent branches falling onto power lines and creating outages during storms.
Organized crews were at the intersection of Alfa Sur Street and Tulum Avenue, where Civil Protection personnel provided perimeter security and support during the pruning operations.
Authorities also cleared vegetation along Luna Poniente Street at the corner of Privada Aereolito and the intersection of Neptuno Street and Centauro Sur. Nine large trees were cut to ensure electrical circuits were cleared of obstructions or hazards that could lead to short circuits or fires during weather events.
On Monday, Cozumel Mayor José Luis Chacón Méndez supervised dredging being carried out at various points on the island, asking citizens to keep streets and sidewalks clean to prevent blockages.
“We ask you to help us keep the area in front of your homes clean, especially where well cleaning work has already been done. This is for your own well-being so that when the rains come they will be functioning properly,” he said.
Island drains are being cleared by dredging crews, which are part of the Urban Services Subdirectorate.
In Playa del Carmen, 55 shelters have been earmarked for emergency storm use. Darwin Covarrubias, the Secretariat of Civil Protection, Risk Prevention, and Firefighters for Playa del Carmen said 15 of those shelters are new. All 55 have been been inspected and verified in coordination with state and federal authorities.
“We’ve already visited all the shelters. They’re ready and we’ve addressed the necessary observations. On June 4th, we’ll be installing the Civil Protection Hurricane Operations Committee,” Covarrubias said noting they are anticipating an active hurricane season.
Covarrubias has also urged citizens to clean areas in front of their homes and to properly manage solid waste.
“We always recommend avoiding flooding by cleaning our streets and not littering. Even if the government is working hard, it’s not enough without the support of the public. We must all do our part to reduce risks during the rains,” he said.
Although monitoring for the Atlantic began May 15, the official start of the hurricane season is June 1. According to international meteorological agencies, it is expected to be a very active season.
