Mexico – Heavy Rain From Hurricane Katia Triggers Deadly Landslides in Veracruz State

The National Civil Protection Coordination in Mexico has declared a state of emergency for 29 municipalities of the state of Veracruz (full name: Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave) after Hurricane Katia made landfall on 09 September, 2017.

Katia dumped around 300 mm of rain in parts of the state, triggering landslides that left 2 people dead.

This visible light image from NOAA’s GOES East satellite shows Hurricane Katia in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico on Sept. 8 at 9:15 a.m. EDT (1315 UTC). Credits: NOAA/NASA GOES Project

Hurricane Katia made landfall as a category 2 hurricane but has since weakened to an area of low pressure and, as of late 09 September, was situated in the north of the state of Puebla. National Civil Protection Coordination are warning that the system is expected to continue to cause very strong to intense rainfall in the east and centre of the country.

Civil Protection reports that almost 300 mm of rain fell in some areas of Veracruz and over 220 mm in parts of Puebla over a 72 hour period. La Ceibilla in Veracruz recorded 231.4 mm in 24 hours on 10 September.

The heavy rain caused rivers to overflow as well as several landslides. Two fatalities were reported after a landslide in Xalapa, Veracruz.

The Cotaxtla river at Paso del Toro and Jamapa at Tejar both exceeded flood stage.

As many as 250 houses were damaged by floods and wind, forcing hundreds to evacuate. Around 400 people remain displaced and are staying in shelters.