Mexican authorities are in a desperate search for dozens of missing individuals and are racing to deliver aid to thousands of people caught off guard by the catastrophic downpours that swept across several parts of the country, causing widespread destruction over the weekend.
As of Monday, officials confirmed that 64 people had lost their lives, with another 65 reported missing across five states bordering the Gulf of Mexico.
The death toll is expected to climb further in the coming days as search and rescue teams struggle to reach remote areas isolated by severe landslides.
President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Monday morning that an estimated 100,000 homes were impacted by the floods and landslides. With many communities still cut off, the president stated that essential supplies like food and water would need to be airlifted.
“There were no scientific or meteorological conditions that could have indicated to us that the rainfall would be of this magnitude,” Ms. Sheinbaum told reporters. She noted that the government’s primary focus had been on the Pacific, monitoring two storms, Priscilla and Raymond, that had formed off Mexico’s western coast the previous week.
However, the most severe destruction unfolded in the central and eastern regions—specifically in the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, and Puebla. Here, extremely intense and localized cloudbursts caused rivers to overflow their banks and triggered numerous landslides.
Some towns experienced an astonishing 20 inches of rain in just four days, according to government figures.
Torrential rains have become an increasing threat across wide areas of Mexico. Earlier this year, significant flooding along the U.S. border also resulted in fatalities and left considerable damage in its wake.
While it’s challenging to directly link any single downpour to global climate change in real time, scientific studies suggest that as global temperatures rise, storms tend to produce more extreme rainfall because warmer air is capable of holding more moisture.
President Sheinbaum is under intense pressure to deliver swift relief to the victims. This task is complicated by recent budget cuts to climate-change mitigation efforts and the prior dissolution of a special disaster relief fund by her predecessor. This fund was eliminated over corruption allegations, though no direct cases of corruption linked to it have ever been legally proven.
Research had previously recognized this fund as one of the world’s most advanced financial tools for disaster relief, demonstrating its effectiveness in saving lives and restoring essential services.
Despite these challenges, Ms. Sheinbaum has pledged that her administration will spare no expense in supporting those affected by the heavy rains.
“There are sufficient resources. There will be no skimping on that,” she affirmed, noting that her administration still has $867 million available this year for disaster relief.
Nevertheless, a palpable sense of desperation is growing in some of the hardest-hit areas.
On Sunday, during a visit to Veracruz—where an overflowing river displaced thousands and claimed at least 29 lives—Ms. Sheinbaum faced angry crowds in the town of Poza Rica.
“Where are they?” residents shouted, holding up cellphone photos of their missing loved ones.
A young student publicly challenged the president as she attempted to calm the crowd from the back of a pickup truck. He claimed three of his university classmates had been missing for three days, while local residents were left to respond to the disaster on their own.
“We have been here for three days, cleaning up,” he shouted emotionally. “What good is it to have you here?”
Ms. Sheinbaum repeatedly urged the crowd to quiet down and listen, pressing her finger to her lips. “We are going to help everyone,” she promised. “Nothing will be hidden.”
Later on Monday, when asked about Sunday’s encounter, she stated that university authorities had reported two student deaths but had not yet confirmed if any others were missing.
Ms. Sheinbaum has also highlighted Mexico’s increasing reliance on its armed forces for disaster response.
In the absence of a dedicated disaster fund, the Mexican Army, Air Force, and Navy have taken on a significantly expanded role in relief efforts. This increased military involvement has, however, received mixed reviews.
Following Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 storm that devastated Acapulco in 2023, the military was praised for its swift deployment of aid. Yet, critics argued that recovery was hampered by a lack of local expertise and an initial neglect of poorer neighborhoods and outlying communities.
The financial strain of repairs, social assistance, and direct cash transfers on Mexico’s public finances has been substantial.
On Monday, Ms. Sheinbaum announced plans to dredge rivers, construct embankments, rebuild bridges, and upgrade pumping stations for flood control in the affected states, mirroring the ongoing efforts in Acapulco.
To date, more than 7,300 Army soldiers and National Guard members have been deployed for rescue and evacuation operations.
Health officials are also on the ground, working to prevent the outbreak of mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue.
The severe rains also disrupted power, leaving over a quarter-million people without electricity. However, Mexico’s national power company reported by Monday that electricity had largely been restored.
Annie Correal contributed to this report.