Southwest Mexico residents had to evacuate on Saturday when Hurricane John's remains swamped their houses. Hurricane John had wreaked havoc on the Pacific shoreline for a week, killing 22 people, according to reports. Communities are struggling to deal with the storm's aftermath, and the situation is terrible.
The hardest-hit state and poorest state in Mexico, Guerrero, has recorded 18 fatalities, many of which were caused by mudslides that destroyed homes, according to local media. Three deaths were also reported in Oaxaca, while a small child drowned in a Michoacan state river.
On Monday, storm John quickly strengthened into a powerful storm and made landfall in Guerrero. It dissipated, then regenerated offshore, skimming the northern coast before bringing heavy rains and substantial flooding all week.
John started to weaken by Friday and was no longer regarded as an active storm, but the damage had already been done, as landslides and flooding were caused by the torrential rainfall.
Evelyn Salgado, the governor of Guerrero state, posted pictures of emergency personnel in the vacation city of Acapulco using jet skis, boats, and helicopters for rescue efforts while locals waded through waist-high floodwaters on social media platform X.
Governor Salgado declared that by Saturday AM, the airport was back in operation, allowing for additional emergency operations.
Less than a year after Hurricane Otis, several residents in Acapulco with little children managed to escape their flooded areas using surfboards and dinghies, pleading for official support.
Hurricane Otis made landfall in Acapulco in October as a Category 5 storm. It quickly strengthened off the coast, killing over 50 people and causing billions of dollars' worth of damage. On the other hand, Hurricane John produced almost three times as much rain as Otis.
In an interview with UnoTV, resident Jazmin Barrera said, "A lot of water has come down." "Since Monday, we haven't seen the sun. She continued, "I think this time around has been more devastating," expressing the people' dissatisfaction and anxiety.
Later on Saturday, there will likely be more thunderstorms and heavy rain in Guerrero and some areas of Oaxaca. However, Acapulco authorities stated that the floodwaters were starting to recede.
On X, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador declared that food supplies were being provided to the afflicted individuals and that kitchens and shelters had been built. He emphasized the ongoing relief operations by saying, "Fortunately, the water is now receding and aid to the victims will continue."
Warmer ocean temperatures are giving hurricanes more fuel, according to meteorologists, which allows them to intensify quickly and gives coastal populations less time to get ready for impending storms.
