Flooding in Tabasco and Chiapas remains dire
By Jesús Ibarra
Unfortunately, Tabasco’s situation is really serious and we all will live with the consequences, but, thank God, we have received a lot of support and we are all trying to help as much as possible. I ask for your prayers and we hope for more donations. So many people lost everything.
— Maria Elena de Ibarra, Villahermosa resident
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Tabasco, a state with lush vegetation and a rich cultural and natural heritage, remains under water, and the desperate situation is expected to continue for two to three months. |
San Miguel de Allende, which suffered a less serious flood in October 1998, has joined national and international efforts to support Tabasco and flood-ravaged Chiapas in southern Mexico. Staff of the San Miguel Red Cross and Civil Protection left for Tabasco on November 10 with supplies collected during the past week.
Floodwaters began to rise in the state of Tabasco, which has a population of 2.1 million, on the night of October 28. Intense rains brought on by a cold front over the Gulf of Mexico caused the Presa Peńitas to exceed its capacity, and the water had to be diverted to the Girjalva, Carrizal and Samaria Rivers, causing them to overflow their banks.
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During the past week, 700 communities across 80 percent of the state were still under water. According to the national press, the Army calculated that more than 80,000 people were trapped on their roofs in 19 communities on the outskirts of Villahermosa, the state capital. At least eight people have died. |