Mexico City, October 13, 2025 – In a tragic escalation of nature's fury, torrential rains fueled by Tropical Storms Priscilla and Raymond have unleashed widespread flooding and landslides across central and southeastern Mexico, leaving a trail of destruction that has claimed at least 44 lives as of Sunday evening. The government's latest report, released on October 12, paints a grim picture of the disaster's scope, affecting five states and displacing thousands of residents. This event, one of the most severe weather-related catastrophes in the region this year, has prompted an unprecedented national response led by President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has mobilized military and civilian resources to aid the hardest-hit communities.
The storms, which developed off Mexico's Pacific coast in early October, have dumped unprecedented volumes of rain over a short period, overwhelming rivers, eroding hillsides, and submerging entire towns. Priscilla, which briefly intensified into a hurricane before dissipating, and Raymond, a persistent tropical storm, steered moisture-laden air masses inland, saturating already vulnerable terrains. By Monday morning, the immediate threat from heavy rainfall had begun to subside, but the long-term impacts—ranging from infrastructure collapse to economic fallout—continue to unfold.
The death toll, confirmed by Mexico's National Coordination of Civil Protection, stands at 44, with the majority of fatalities occurring in Veracruz and Hidalgo. Veracruz, a Gulf Coast state prone to tropical influences, reported 18 deaths, many from drowning in flash floods or being buried under landslides. Hidalgo, north of Mexico City, tallied 16 fatalities, including several in remote mountain villages where access roads were obliterated by mudslides. Puebla followed with nine deaths, Querétaro with one—a heartbreaking case involving a child caught in a landslide—and San Luis Potosí reported no direct fatalities but extensive property damage. Authorities fear the number could rise as search-and-rescue operations persist in isolated areas, where communication blackouts have hampered efforts. At least 27 people remain missing nationwide, with 13 reported in Puebla alone.
The sheer intensity of the rainfall defies recent records. In one particularly ravaged area of Veracruz, approximately 21 inches (540 millimeters) of rain fell between October 6 and 9, equivalent to several months' worth of precipitation in mere days. This deluge caused the Cazones River to breach its banks near the town of Poza Rica, flooding low-lying neighborhoods under more than 12 feet (3.7 meters) of murky water. Eyewitness accounts describe a chaotic dawn on October 10, when the river's roar turned into a wall of destruction, sweeping away vehicles, uprooting trees, and trapping families in their homes. "The water came so fast, like a monster from the river," recounted Maria Gonzalez, a 52-year-old resident of Poza Rica, whose small grocery store was reduced to a mud-choked ruin. Photos and videos circulating on social media show pickup trucks dangling from treetops, a dead horse lodged in a vehicle's cabin, and residents wading through waist-deep currents to salvage what little they could.
The disaster's reach extends far beyond human loss. According to civil defense reports, 117 municipalities across the five states—Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro, and San Luis Potosí—have been declared emergency zones. Infrastructure damage is staggering: Over 32,000 homes in Puebla and Veracruz have been damaged or destroyed, leaving an estimated 80,000 people in Puebla without shelter or basic services. In Hidalgo, at least 1,000 homes, 308 schools, and 59 hospitals and clinics suffered structural harm from landslides and overflowing streams. Power outages affected roughly 320,000 electricity users nationwide, with entire communities in Hidalgo—up to 150 municipalities—plunged into darkness for days. Roads, vital lifelines in these rugged terrains, were severed by more than 40 landslides in Veracruz alone, isolating dozens of villages and delaying aid delivery. A ruptured gas pipeline in Puebla, triggered by a landslide, added to the hazards, forcing evacuations and complicating recovery.
In San Luis Potosí, while no deaths were recorded, the northern-central state's arid landscapes turned into impromptu lakes, washing out highways and stranding motorists. Querétaro's single fatality underscores the unpredictability of these events; the child’s death in a sudden hillside collapse highlights the vulnerability of rural families living on steep slopes. Across the board, the storms disrupted daily life: Schools suspended classes indefinitely in Hidalgo, markets in Veracruz looted damaged supermarkets for essentials, and farmers in Puebla reported crop losses that could cripple local economies for months.
President Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's first female leader and a climate scientist by training, responded swiftly to the crisis, embodying the calm resolve her administration has promised since taking office in October 2024. On October 10, as initial reports of fatalities emerged, Sheinbaum convened an emergency cabinet meeting and reached out directly to the governors of the affected states. "We are working tirelessly to support the population, reopen roads, and restore electricity," she posted on X, sharing images of responders distributing supplies amid flooded streets. By Sunday, she escalated the effort, activating the National Emergency Committee for continuous session and deploying over 5,400 military personnel from the army and navy. This includes 3,300 naval elements equipped with 18 boats, six helicopters, three water purification plants, three aircraft, field kitchens, and 4,000 rescue kits.
Sheinbaum's visit to Veracruz on October 12 was a poignant moment of leadership. Standing ankle-deep in receding floodwaters near Poza Rica, she addressed evacuees at a makeshift shelter: "We know there is desperation and worry, but we're going to reach everyone. Air bridges have been established to deliver food, water, and medical aid to cut-off communities." Her coordination with governors—such as Hidalgo's Julio Menchaca and Puebla's Alejandro Armenta—has streamlined a multi-agency response, including the National Guard's transport of residents via life rafts along washed-out roads like Tulancingo-Tenango. Nearly 900 people in Veracruz were evacuated to shelters by the navy, and over 139 towns now receive federal support for rebuilding.
This disaster arrives amid a year of anomalous weather patterns across Mexico, where 2025 has already seen record rainfall in Mexico City and multiple tropical systems battering the coasts. Experts link the intensified storms to climate change, which warms ocean surfaces and supercharges atmospheric moisture, leading to more extreme precipitation events. "Priscilla and Raymond are part of a broader trend," said Dr. Elena Ramirez, a climatologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). "We've seen three systems in one week off the Pacific—Priscilla, post-tropical Octave, and now Raymond—pushing rain bands deeper inland than usual." The U.S. Embassy in Mexico issued alerts warning of heightened landslide risks in Baja California Sur, Sonora, and Sinaloa, as remnants of the storms veer northward, threatening flash floods in the American Southwest.
Local voices from the ground reveal the human cost beyond statistics. In Hidalgo's Sierra Madre Oriental mountains, indigenous communities like the Otomi in Huehuetla speak of lost harvests and ancestral homes buried under tons of earth. "Our grandparents warned of the rivers' anger when the skies weep too much," said 68-year-old farmer José Ramirez, sifting through debris in his village. In Puebla, where a gas pipeline rupture forced 500 evacuations, Governor Armenta declared a state of emergency, vowing reconstruction funds from federal coffers. Social media posts from affected areas, including drone footage of the Cazones River's overflow, have amplified calls for climate-resilient infrastructure, with hashtags like #MéxicoInundado trending globally.
Economically, the toll mounts quickly. Preliminary estimates from the Secretariat of Finance peg direct damages at over 10 billion pesos (approximately $500 million USD), covering housing repairs, road reconstruction, and agricultural losses. Veracruz's oil-rich ports, vital to national exports, faced temporary closures due to flooded access routes, while Puebla's manufacturing hubs reported halted production. International aid pledges have begun trickling in; the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs dispatched emergency supplies, and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency offered technical expertise for flood mapping.
As cleanup crews dig out and families mourn, Sheinbaum's administration faces a test of its resilience agenda. Her background in environmental science—having co-authored reports on urban flooding during her tenure as Mexico City mayor—positions her uniquely to advocate for preventive measures, such as expanded early-warning systems and reforestation in landslide-prone zones. "This is not just a storm; it's a call to action against the climate crisis we've ignored for too long," she stated during a press briefing on October 12. With forecasts predicting lingering showers into mid-week, the focus shifts to recovery: Restoring power grids, rebuilding bridges, and supporting the displaced.
Yet, amid the rubble, glimmers of solidarity emerge. Volunteers in Poza Rica organized community kitchens, distributing hot meals from salvaged ingredients, while youth groups in Hidalgo cleared debris by hand. "We've lost so much, but not our spirit," said Gonzalez, the shop owner, as neighbors banded together to rebuild. As Mexico grapples with this chapter of calamity, the nation's resolve—and its leaders' commitment—will determine how swiftly it rises from the waters.
