Civil Protection reported that rains intensified in 31 of the 32 Mexican states, causing rivers to overflow and flood entire communities, as well as landslides.
At least 28 people died and a trail of destruction was left in the due to the intense rains recorded since Thursday, according to reports released on Friday (10) by authorities in several states. Civil Protection reported that rains intensified in 31 of the 32 Mexican states, causing rivers to overflow and flood entire communities, as well as landslides on roads, highways and bridges. The central state of Hidalgo is the hardest hit, with 16 dead, 1,000 homes damaged and 90 communities isolated, according to authorities.
The government of Puebla (central Mexico) confirmed nine deaths and eight missing, in addition to 80,000 people affected. Official reports indicate two deaths in Veracruz (east) and one in Querétaro (central Mexico) due to overflowing rivers. The president detailed in messages on the social network X that thousands of soldiers, around twenty boats and the same number of planes, in addition to six helicopters, were mobilized to help the affected areas.
“The Navy sent 3,300 soldiers to Puebla, Veracruz and San Luis Potosí,” wrote the president, who also held video conferences with the governors of these districts. In addition, 5,400 Army personnel were also mobilized and shelters were opened to accommodate those who had to abandon their homes due to rising river levels. State authorities have also set up dozens of shelters to accommodate entire families who have abandoned their homes due to the threat of new flooding, especially in Veracruz, where there are extensive riverbeds.
Laura Velázquez, national coordinator of Civil Protection, reported landslides, road blockages and river overflows in the affected states. The disaster area is the Sierra Madre Oriental, a vast mountain range that runs parallel to the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and is dotted with small towns that were inaccessible until Friday. An AFP team arrived in the town of Tulancingo, Hidalgo, where the roads leading to mountain villages begin, but they were closed due to landslides and a huge ditch.
Change of seasons
Mexico experienced an intense rainy season in 2025, reaching a record in the capital. Meteorologist and academic Isidro Cano explained to AFP that the intense rains recorded since Thursday occur at the end of the season and are due to a “change of seasons”. “The rains can arrive sooner or later. There is also the orographic factor, which contributes to the formation of clouds due to the hot and humid air that rises towards the mountains”, he stated.
He explained that a tropical phenomenon formed in the Gulf of Mexico collided with the Sierra Madre Oriental, causing an increase in temperatures that favors water vapor and intense rain. Added to this is a cold front coming from which generates greater cloudiness, which favors more rain in large areas of the country, added the expert.
*With information from AFP
