At least 11 dead, nearly 20 missing, and a panorama of devastation was the trail that Hurricane Agatha left along the Mexican Pacific coast, where the alert remained in the face of heavy rains.
Destroyed homes, road closures, at least two destroyed bridges and many isolated communities are all part of the devastating balance that Oaxaca (southern) state officials reported on Wednesday.
“The river took it away (…) When they told us to go, we wanted to buy something, but we could not get it. I did not change plates, glasses, I did not bring anything. Otilia Ríos told AFP.
His fragile home, with its foliage roof and wooden supports, is one of dozens of homes swept away by wind and rain in Puente Copalita, a small community in the coastal municipality of Huatulco.
As AFP passed through this area, they observed overflowing rivers, paths blocked by branches, and fallen trees.
The first Pacific hurricane of the season, Agatha, landed on the Mexican coast near Puerto Ángel on Monday afternoon, initially causing only property damage but triggering heavy rains.
The first deaths were announced on Tuesday afternoon, and this Wednesday, Oaxaca governor Alejandro Murat reported 11 dead and 22 missing.
The state official initially reported that 33 people were missing, but later announced 11 dead among them. He also stated that he expects more details from the most affected municipalities.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said at a morning press conference, “I embrace the families of those who lost their lives, I wish we can find the missing once all communities are reached, we will be on this quest.”
According to the Mexican Meteorological Service’s estimation, there is an 80% probability that within five days Agatha’s remnants will travel to the Atlantic with the potential for cyclonic formation, which will mainly affect the Yucatan Peninsula.
continuous rains
In San Pedro Pochutla, a municipality in which the incident took place, Mayor Saymi Pineda told the Milenio television channel that there were two dead, both minors.
Affected families “did not want to leave their homes for fear of losing everything and they lost almost everything (…) six hours of water and strong winds, they were helpless,” he said.
The official said he was “completely lost” at Zipolite, a famous nudist beach, and they were unable to communicate with the municipality’s coffee and mountain areas.
“They had to walk for 15 hours” to get from the mountain area to the municipal area, Pineda said.
Most of the deaths occurred in cities located in the mountains, difficult to reach and roads closed.
Murat explained that a helicopter is ready to reach the incommunicado municipalities in Huatulco, as long as the weather conditions allow.
One of the poorest states, Oaxaca is characterized by population distribution with more than two million people living in communities of less than 2,500 inhabitants, mostly in the mountains. The governor explained that part of it was the difficulty of striking a precise balance.
In the affected area, soldiers and national guards were deployed to clear the roads. A census has also begun to determine the number of homes affected, and work is underway to fully restore telecommunications and electricity.
The Mexican Meteorological Service warned that the Agatha remains would produce rain over a large area in the south and east of the country.
Authorities in Oaxaca and neighboring states are on alert for continued rains.
Mexico experiences tropical cyclones each year along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, usually between May and November.
In October 1997, Hurricane Paulina hit the Mexican Pacific coast as Hurricane 4, leaving more than 200 dead, with Oaxaca and Guerrero the hardest hit states.
source: Noticias
