Tragedy in Guerrero: The Devastating Trail of Death Left by ‘John’ – Two Women and a Child Lost Forever

Tragedy in Guerrero: The Devastating Trail of Death Left by ‘John’ – Two Women and a Child Lost Forever

September 25, 2024 Catherine Williams - Chief Editor News

According to information provided by the authorities, the three people died as a result of landslides caused by the cyclone.

By Luis Alberto Cruz

MARQUELIA, Mexico (AP).-Two women and a child died after passing Hurricane John along the coast of South Pacific Mexico; the a storm roofs were torn from several houses, causing landslides and downed dozens of trees, authorities reported Tuesday.

“John” came and a hurricane very intense in a few hours and made landfall on Monday night approximately 120 kilometers (km) east of Acapulco, before coming tropical stormmoved inland and broke up around midday.

However, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that heavy rain is still expected and could cause flash flooding in southern and southwestern Mexico for several days.

The remnants of the storm were still producing maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (35 mph) about 115 km northwest of Acapulco, in a mountainous area.

Evelyn Salgado, Governor of the coastal state of Guerrero, reported on Tuesday morning two deaths, a woman and her 10-year-old nephew, due to a “landslide in their house” in the mountain town of Tlacoachistlahuaca, 100 km from the coast and 220 km west of Acapulco , a tourist destination that was hit hard last year by Hurricane “Otis”.

Hours later, the Secretariat of Comprehensive Risk Management and Civil Protection Guerrero confirmed the death of another person, a 70-year-old woman, who died in the municipality of Malinaltepec, in the region of La Montaña, due to a landslide in her home. .

Similarly, in Chilpancingo, the state capital, a 63-year-old woman was injured when a tree fell on her home.

John made landfall near the city of Punta Maldonado late Monday night as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (190 km/h).

“The whole hurricane hit,” said Lincer Casiano Clemente, Mayor of Marquelia, one of the coastal towns closest to where “John” made landfall, in a video uploaded to the networks early in the morning.

On Tuesday morning, with still to go through an area of ​​the municipality, the Mayor said AP in a phone conversation that they had no reports of victims because all the neighbors could be notified in time to take shelter, even though they were left without electricity and without a phone signal.

“We have never experienced such strong gusts,” he added. “We made shelter at home, some doors, some trees fell down.”

Poles and sheet metal homes were affected by the wind, but only “flooded areas, material damage, roads cut by trees”.

Tuesday morning the population continued without electricity. Its inhabitants began to go out into the streets in search of food and there were lines in some shops, while the authorities tried to clean the streets and roads of the small coastal town.

Laura Velázquez, the national coordinator of the Civil Defense, noted that around 100,000 users in several municipalities in the “John” impact zone were temporarily left without electricity or telephone and on Tuesday that more than 16,000 soldiers had already been deployed to take care of the affected areas.

“Seek the heights, protect yourselves and don’t forget that the most important thing is life; the material is replaced. We will watch,” Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had warned at night on the X social network.

The governments of the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca announced that they would suspend classes in various coastal areas.

Monday’s unexpected strengthening caught scientists, authorities and area residents off guard, something AccuWeather meteorologist Matt Benz attributed to higher ocean surface temperatures, which contribute to stronger hurricanes.

As a result, the sudden increase in the intensity of these phenomena has become more and more common, he noted.

“These are storms that we haven’t really experienced before,” he declared. “Rapid intensification has occurred more frequently in modern times, compared to historical records. This tells us something is going on there.”

Benz expressed concern that the storm could slow its progress once it reaches land and becomes stable over the coastal area, which could cause even more damage.

The presence of the meteor is bad news for the region, which suffered severe damage last year due to a hurricane that also intensified suddenly.

Hurricane “Otis” devastated Acapulco, where the residents had little warning of the strength of the storm that was about to hit them. Scientists said that “Otis” – one of the most intense hurricanes ever recorded – was the result of changing weather conditions.

“Otis” caused a disruption in the city’s electrical service for several days, leaving bodies scattered along the coast and desperate relatives searching for loved ones. Much of the city descended into anarchy, with thousands of people looting shops and struggling for food and water.

López Obrador’s government received harsh criticism for its slow response to “Otis.” Authorities have since promised to act quickly.

The President-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum, said that her Government intends to work on improving an early warning system, similar to the one the country already has for detecting earthquakes.

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