Landslides in Mexico Kills 40; Low Lying Areas Evacuated
Landslides and mudslides kill 40 in Mexican states of Puebla and Veracruz; shelters set up and fishing and resort activities halted.
Eastern Mexican states of Puebla and Veracruz suffered severe landslides after the onslaught of Tropical Storm Earl. National Civil Protection coordinator Luis Puente said that there were at least 40 people killed because of the tragic events. Bodies of victims were mostly found in mud and flood waters.
Severe damage in Puebla, Veracruz with 11 deaths
Governor Rafael Moreno Valle posted some of the photos taken from the Mexican province of Puebla on his Twitter account. The photos showed massive damage by Tropical Storm Earl Saturday which resulted in 28 deaths.
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Moreno also tweeted that his government has all the resources available to help victims. He also mentioned that he will not rest until repairs have been made to all the damages suffered from the storm.
Meanwhile, Governor Javier Duarte tweeted that there were 11 people who died because of the storm in his state. The governor blamed the deaths from the mudslides that occurred along his state's hillside and mountainous areas.
Too much rain in one night
Interior Secretary Diodoro Carrasco said in an interview that there were so many casualties because the rain that the storm produced was equivalent to a month's normal amount of precipitation which fell over the areas in just one night.
Storm has been downgraded
Hurricane Earl remnants are now moving along the South-western coastline of Mexico and is predicted to increase in strength. The storm has downgraded, said experts, but its remnants will produce more rain over Mexican states such as Guerrero, Hidalgo, Puebla, Oaxaca, Tlaxcala and Veracruz.
An increased amount of rainfall in the area may result in more dangerous floods and mudslides in the mentioned areas.
Mexico states affected by Tropical Storm Javier
While residents of affected Mexican states are still recovering from the effects of Earl, alerts for Tropical Storm Javier was announced over the Mexican Pacific coastline. Warnings were posted along southern Baja California; a hurricane alert was reduced as Javier weakened Monday evening.
Javier was formed from the remnants of Earl and will likely pull moisture northwards towards Southwest U.S. in the next few days. Winds will increase and will remain strong until Tuesday as the storm moves towards the coast. It is predicted that Javier will cause flash floods, damaged power lines and mudslides especially in mountainous areas of affected Mexican states.
Rainfall of 3 to 6 inches has been predicted over the coastal parts of Sinaloa and southern Sonora.
Shelters set up, fishing and resort warnings up
According to authorities, at least 10 shelters have been set up for evacuees from very low areas such as Cabo San Lucas. These shelters were mostly set up in local schools. Fishermen were told to cease fishing activities and resorts located along the coastlines were ordered to remain closed.
