The death toll from Mexico’s floods has risen to 64 dead and dozens missing Weather news

The majority of deaths occurred in the states of Veracruz and Hidalgo.

At least 64 people have died in Mexico after heavy rains and flooding hit five states last week.

Another 65 people are still missing, head of the National Civil Protection Coordination, Laura Velasquez Alzoa, said during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s daily press conference on Monday.

Alzoa said the state of Veracruz, located on the southeastern coast of the country, confirmed 29 deaths, followed by 21 in Hidalgo, 13 in Puebla and one in Queretaro.

43 people were also reported missing in Hidalgo, along with 18 in Veracruz and four in Puebla.

Thousands of military forces have been deployed to provide assistance across the five affected states, and governors are also working together to coordinate support, Sheinbaum said.

She added that initial estimates indicate that about 100,000 homes were affected, and that some nearby rivers “practically disappeared.”

Facing questions about Mexico’s warning system, Sheinbaum said there were no meteorological signs “that could indicate to us that the rain would be this large.”

Meteorologists said the rains came thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Priscilla and Tropical Rainstorm Raymond, which caused river levels to rise rapidly, triggering floods and landslides.

City of Varez Cuetzalan del Progress Alzua said.

The Mexican Army, Air Force and National Guard jointly carried out response efforts, distributing food and clean water, sometimes by air, to locations inaccessible due to landslides and road closures.

Electricity officials said during the press conference that nearly 400 repair workers had restored more than 80 percent of electricity supply across the five states, where about 263,000 users were without power.