37 Dead After Heavy Flooding and Landslides in Mexico

The worst of the storms were primarily due to two incoming tropical storms, Priscilla and Raymond, which have each impacted different parts of the country. Raymond made landfall on Mexico's Baja Peninsula last night, while Priscilla made landfall near the city of Puerto Vallarta in the western state of Jalisco several days ago.

The rain, though, has been widespread, stretching far and wide across the country. The state of Hidalgo, north of Mexico City, is known for its dramatic, mountainous terrain, with the Sierra Madre Oriental range spanning the north and east sides of the state. However, due to this, the heavy rainfall in the region has led to devastating landslides– in total, 22 people have been confirmed dead and eight others remain missing in Hidalgo.

Meanwhile, at least nine people were killed in the state of Puebla, southeast of Mexico City. Eight others are missing because of a landslide in the region, and around 16,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed. Also, five more deaths occurred in the eastern state of Veracruz, where an additional 16,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. The final death came from the state of Querétaro, where a child died after being caught in yet another deadly landslide.

In total, over 320,000 are out of power, and the lack of communications – coupled with the landslide-induced destruction done to roads – has seriously hindered rescue efforts. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum admitted that the heavy rainfall had destroyed, damaged, or blocked around 600 miles of roadway across five different states, amplifying the impact of the disaster. Dozens of hospitals have also been shut down due to the damage, affecting locals' access to healthcare during the time of crisis, and schools have also been shut down across the region.

Now, authorities are working with thousands of members of the military to clear the way, but they just beginning to clear roads and restore power. Because of this, local officials expect the death toll to rise in the coming days.

Unfortunately, weather like this continues to become more and more common as climate change ramps up, creating more unpredictable severe weather events that change too quickly for humans to adapt and respond to.