“Deadly Flooding Hits Hidalgo State in Mexico”

Miguel Angel Villegas Escobar reported that more than a dozen individuals have lost their lives in his area, which is currently isolated from the rest of Mexico’s Hidalgo state due to heavy rains, rivers overflowing, and mudslides that have destroyed the region’s bridges and roads.

Villegas Escobar, the head of primary education in Chahuaco village located in landlocked Hidalgo state, mentioned in voice messages via WhatsApp that entire families in the vicinity were swept away by extensive flooding resulting from four days of continuous rainfall last week across five Gulf Coast and central states.

He confirmed the deaths of 15 individuals in Tianguistengo municipality, including various villages like Chahuaco, due to the flooding, with victims buried under mud.

Additionally, two individuals remain missing in the nearby village of Tlacolula, also part of Tianguistengo and severely impacted. Villegas Escobar stated that most homes in the village were destroyed, as reported in the voice messages from Chahuaco, situated approximately 250 kilometers northeast of Mexico City.

Villegas Escobar mentioned that residents in Chahuaco have been using old trails to transport supplies on pack animals and horses to provide assistance to the inhabitants of Tlacolula. “We have gone there to help,” he affirmed.

Numerous Fatalities and Extensive Home Damage

The storms resulted in 64 fatalities and 65 individuals reported missing, based on information shared by Mexican authorities during a press briefing on Monday.

Intense rainfall between October 6 and October 9 led to rivers, streams, and channels overflowing, causing power outages, landslides, and road destruction across Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro, and San Luis Potosi states.

Laura Velázquez, the national coordinator for the federal civil protection agency, mentioned during the press conference that the federal, state, and local governments have been actively assisting affected populations.

Veracruz, Hidalgo, and Puebla bore the brunt of the devastation, with 56 fatalities and over 100 communities affected, as per official reports.

Images circulating on social media and local news depicted streets transformed into torrents of water and mud, individuals stranded on rooftops, and roads washed away by landslides. Reports indicated that at least one police officer drowned while attempting a rescue.

The response of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration and the governors of the three most impacted states, all part of the governing National Regeneration Movement party (Morena), faced criticism for what was perceived as a delayed reaction and failure to issue alerts or evacuation orders, as reported by local media.