Heavy rain beginning on Oct. 6 caused one of Mexico’s most devastating disasters in recent history, involving devastating flooding and landslides. The torrential rains, fueled by the remnants of Hurricane Priscilla and Tropical Storm Raymond, triggered catastrophic flooding and landslides across five states: Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro and San Luis Potosí. The first three were the hardest hit. This AP News photo essay highlights the extent of the damage.

These storms came at the end of the rainy season, when months of rainfall had already swollen rivers and soaked trees and mountains.

Devastating Impact on Communities

As of Oct. 14, at least 64 people have died and 67 remain missing.

The disaster cut off access to 300 villages, affected over 300,000 people in Veracruz alone, and damaged or destroyed over 100,000 homes in Hidalgo. In Poza Rica, an oil town in Hidalgo state, water reached as high as 13 feet. Facilities owned by the state oil company Pemex may have flooded, depositing oil in homes, vehicles, businesses and roads across the town.

Elsewhere in Hidalgo state, the Cazones River nearly wiped out the 400-person village of Chapula, leaving only a church and a warehouse where people had sought safety standing. This area, part of the Sierra Madre Oriental region, is a mountain range parallel to Mexico’s east coast. It is home to many small and isolated communities; half of all the villages isolated by this disaster are in this state.

The flooding and landslides damaged sections of Mexico’s Federal Highway 132, making it even harder to reach affected communities. As of Wednesday, Oct. 15, only 100 of the 300 cut-off villages had been reached directly, although helicopters had dropped food and water to all communities. Officials warn that the total number of people deceased, injured or otherwise affected will grow as they can reach these villages.

Health centers, schools, and electricity infrastructure were also severely impacted. At the height of the disaster, 263,000 people were without power. Health officials are taking action to prevent dengue, a disease that is common after flooding.

Response and Aid After Flooding and Landslides in Mexico

On Oct. 14, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and her team provided an update on the impact of the flooding and highlighted the government’s ongoing assistance to affected communities. At that time, 91% of electric power had been restored, but only 99 of the 385 critical infrastructure issues had been addressed across the five states.

Read the full article about flooding and landslides in Mexico by Tanya Gulliver-Garcia at Center for Disaster Philanthropy.