Since October 6th, record-breaking downpours have struck Mexico, hitting 31 out of the country’s 32 states. Rivers overflowed, dams failed, and water rushed into cities and villages.
This natural disaster was triggered by several tropical storms that passed near the Mexican coast.
They caused serious damage to 139 municipalities in the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro, and San Luis Potosí. The disaster damaged about 620 miles of roads, and more than 380,000 people were left without power or communication.
Over 9,000 soldiers and rescuers were deployed to fight the aftermath, setting up temporary shelters for those affected. Boats, airplanes, and helicopters were used for evacuations and to deliver water, food, and medicine.
In the state of Veracruz, where 21 inches of rain fell in just three days, the destruction was the most severe.
On the morning of October 10th, the Cazones River rose to a record level of 24 feet. In the city of Poza Rica, entire neighborhoods turned into lakes — homes, shops, and schools went underwater. People escaped to rooftops, waiting for rescue. In the municipality of Álamo alone, more than 5,000 houses were damaged. Over 100,000 residents were left without electricity or running water.
The unprecedented rainfall triggered at least 340 landslides and mudflows across the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla, and Querétaro.
In Hidalgo, more than three hundred schools and about sixty medical facilities were destroyed or flooded, and over 150 communities were cut off from the outside world. In Querétaro, a six-year-old boy was killed in a landslide.
In Puebla, 80,000 people were affected. Heavy rains damaged 16,000 buildings and destroyed seven bridges. One local woman lost five relatives when their home collapsed due to a landslide caused by torrential rain — the disaster also destroyed her own house.
As of October 13th, the death toll nationwide had reached 64 people, with another 65 still missing.
The situation remains tense — meteorologists warn that new rains could once again raise river levels, and weakened soils may trigger further landslides.
More and more eyewitnesses admit they have never seen such heavy rainfall in their lives — even in regions where tropical storms and seasonal rains are considered normal. This raises the question: what is causing such extreme downpours that have been observed around the world in recent years?
Scientists from the ALLATRA International Research Group have discovered a previously unknown factor that, along with the increased moisture content of the atmosphere due to ocean warming, intensifies precipitation on the planet. Learn more in the video “Why Turbulence Is on the Rise? Egon Cholakian on Atmospheric Anomalies and Nanoplastic Pollution.”
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