Dozens of people have lost their lives in Mexico after a tropical storm and hurricane ravaged the country back-to-back, and now rescue efforts are underway to help those who have been affected by flooding. Thousands of tourists and residents left stranded or homeless from the Acapulco resort area are being evacuated by emergency flights.
Hurricane Ingrid made landfall in Mexico on the Atlantic coast on Monday, just after Tropical Storm Manuel hit the Pacific coast on Sunday. While both of the storms have weakened and have been downgraded, rain is still lingering, which has caused massive flooding. According to Voice of America, the Guerrero area “endured four days of non-stop rain that has flooded more than half of Acapulco.” The excess rain has caused mudslides and flash floods that have shut down most roads.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUO273RKNco
At least 60,000 tourists were reportedly stranded in Acapulco after the torrential rains began. One tourist called the vacation a “mistake,” a sentiment that has been echoed by many who were unfortunate enough to get stuck there, no doubt. “We’ve realized that it was a mistake to come to Acapulco because all we saw was rain, rain, rain,” said Guadalupe Hernandez, a housewife from Mexico City.
Some residents in the Acapulco area have seen their homes completely destroyed. Natividad Gallegos came home on Monday and found her home buried in a landslide. “When I got home I saw a lot of strangers with picks and shovels, digging where my house used to be,” Gallegos said. One small chapel was mostly buried under mud and rocks after the Acapulco flooding:
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Some areas in Mexico have reportedly received up to 25 inches of rainfall over the past few days, causing some of the worst flooding in Mexico on record. At least 38 people have lost their lives so far, and the death toll is expected to continue rising after communications are restored and people are able to get out to check on friends and family.
Currently there is another tropical storm in the Atlantic basic, Humberto. Tropical Storm Humberto isn’t expected to impact Mexico and should remain at sea, if it continues on its current track.
Main image via YouTube; Chapel image via Bernandino Hernandez/SFGate