The storm that put Tabasco in lifeboat mode
It seems that cold front number 19 decided that a simple drizzle was not enough for Tabasco and chose to discharge up to 75 millimeters of water, as if it were an extreme challenge from nature. The result, as you can imagine, was not a beautiful landscape, but a tragic outcome: one person died and another missing, while municipalities such as Teapa, Tacotalpa and Jalapa became the scene of a movie-like water chaos.
The thing was like this: the rains in the mountain area made the rivers become very temperamental, rising in level as if they were in a hurry to reach the sea. Overflowing streams, flooded houses, trees that decided to take a break on the ground, blocked roads and landslides completed the disaster kit. Come on, a normal day turned into an emergency for the civil protection services.
Underwater communities and a distressing search
In Jalapa, Mayor José Manuel Hernández Pérez reported that the Puyacatengo and Sierra rivers left their banks, entering several homes without permission. But the greatest drama was experienced in Teapa. The municipal president, Miguel Contreras Verdugo, gave the report that no one wants to hear: two missing people, dragged by the force of the Puyacatengo River while trying to cross it. “The civil protection bodies are working… there are also about 15 families affected,” he explained, summarizing a morning of anguish for the community. Hours later, the search would have a bitter outcome with the discovery of one of the men dead.
Meanwhile, in Tacotalpa, the outlook was not more encouraging. The Oxolotán and Amatán rivers, in front of Tapijulapa, also did their thing, adding to an overflow in the ‘Paraíso’ area (the name today sounds like a cruel irony), a landslide in Buena Vista and road sections, such as the one from Tapijulapa – Tacotalpa, converted into impassable fords. To top it off, more landslides and fallen trees on the road to Oxolotán.
And if that were not enough… the drinking water was gone
As in a climatic domino effect, the problem was not limited to the flooded streets. The State Water and Sanitation Commission (CEAS) had to suspend the operation of the water treatment plants in Jalapa and Teapa, leaving towns such as Tapijulapa and Oxolotán without service. The reason: the river water arrived with levels of turbidity that made it impossible to treat. For its part, the Water and Sanitation System (SAS) in Centro took a similar measure at the Villa Parrilla and Pueblo Nuevo plants. So, between floods and cuts, the population faces a double impact: too much water where there should not be, and none where it is needed.
This episode demonstrates, once again, the vulnerability of communities to extreme weather phenomena and the importance of risk management. While authorities work on rehabilitation and assistance, the underlying question is how to best prepare for the next time the weather decides to test the state.
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