More than a dozen people have been killed in the Mexican state of Hidalgo after torrential rains caused rivers to overflow and mudslides to wash out roads and bridges, isolating entire communities. Regional authorities report widespread destruction, with families swept away and villages severely damaged.

Miguel Angel Villegas Escobar, regional director of primary education in Chahuaco, Hidalgo, said via WhatsApp voice messages that entire families have been swept away. In the municipality of Tianguistengo, which includes Chahuaco and Tlacolula, he confirmed at least 15 deaths. Two people remain missing in Tlacolula, the hardest-hit village.

Community Efforts Amidst Isolation

Residents in Chahuaco have used old trails and pack animals to deliver supplies to stranded villagers. “We have gone there to help,” Villegas Escobar said, describing a community effort to assist those trapped by mud and debris.

Authorities report that 64 people have died and 65 remain missing due to the floods, which hit between October 6 and 9 across five Gulf Coast and central states, including Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro, and San Luis Potosí. The storms caused landslides, washed out highways, and knocked out power.

Government Response and Criticism

Laura Velázquez, national coordinator for Mexico’s civil protection agency, stated that federal, state, and municipal authorities have been actively helping affected populations. Veracruz, Hidalgo, and Puebla accounted for 56 deaths, with over 100 communities impacted.

Images circulating on social media show streets turned into rivers of mud, people stranded on rooftops, and at least one police officer drowning during rescue attempts.

President Claudia Sheinbaum and state governors have faced criticism for what opposition politicians and residents call a slow response and lack of preventive alerts. On Monday, residents protested outside Mexico City’s National Palace, calling for immediate aid.

Sheinbaum confirmed that more than 100,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed. Helicopters are now delivering aid to approximately 60 isolated communities. “First, we are opening federal highways… then state highways. From the beginning, we determined this to be the most urgent to get to these locations,” she said.

Unexpected Weather Events

Authorities were monitoring tropical systems Raymond and Priscilla in the Pacific, but an unexpected low-pressure system formed in the Gulf of Mexico, colliding with a cold front from Texas, triggering sudden heavy rains. The region’s rivers were already full, and hillsides weakened by previous rains contributed to the flooding.

“There was no scientific condition, meteorologically, that could have told us that the rains would be of this magnitude,” Sheinbaum said.

Priority Areas and Recovery Efforts

Tianguistengo has been designated a priority area. Villegas Escobar reported that the military has deployed two helicopters and begun rebuilding roads and bridges. In a video, he described the primary school in Tlacolula as a mangled wreck of mud, brick, and tree trunks, calling for urgent assistance from state officials.

“The people need a lot of help here in Tlacolula,” he said, highlighting the ongoing struggle of residents in the aftermath of the devastating floods.