Torrential rain fell in Puerto Vallarta on Saturday night and Sunday morning, flooding more than 1,000 homes and claiming the life of a man whose vehicle was swept into a canal.
Associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Raymond, the storm lasted almost nine hours, according to media reports. The heavy rain was accompanied by strong gusts of wind and lightning.
A number of canals in Puerto Vallarta overflowed as a result of the rain, while several main roads were flooded.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus said on social media on Sunday evening that 703 homes, 85 businesses and two schools had been flooded.
On Monday morning, Jalisco Civil Protection chief Sergio Ramírez López said that 1,260 “affected homes” had been counted in the Pacific coast city.
Among the Puerto Vallarta neighborhoods affected by flooding were Ixtapa, Cañadas, Mojoneras, Bobadilla, La Floresta, Portales and Parque Las Palmas, according to the Jalisco State Civil Protection and Firefighters Unit.
It said that water levels in some parts of the Pacific coast city were “up to one meter.”
Ramírez noted that clean-up efforts started on Sunday, and said that “the deployment of resources for the delivery of humanitarian aid” was imminent. He also said that five donation centers were open. Centers accepting donations of non-perishable foodstuffs, soap, shampoo and baby formula, among other products, have been set up at locations including the DIF family services agency offices and the Presidencia Municipal government building in Puerto Vallarta’s downtown.
The Jalisco Civil Protection Unit said Sunday night that its personnel had carried out a range of “support actions” in response to the flooding, including rescuing people, monitoring “vulnerable areas,” cleaning up roads and conducting a preliminary evaluation of damage.
Municipal, state and federal authorities, including the army, contributed to the disaster response, which included the use of boats to rescue stranded residents.
Shelters were set up in different parts of Puerto Vallarta to provide temporary accommodation for people who were forced to leave their homes.
Mayor Luis Ernesto Munguía said on social media that he and the Puerto Vallarta municipal government were saddened to see that “many families” had lost “everything” due to the flooding.
He said that municipal authorities acted “immediately” to deliver bed bases and mattresses so that members of affected families could “at least sleep peacefully.”
Munguía also said that municipal authorities delivered “several refrigerators” to families who lost theirs due to flooding.
The storm in Puerto Vallarta came after heavy rain and flooding in various states last week, including Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla and Querétaro, where a total of 64 rain-related deaths were confirmed as of Monday morning.
Flooding was also reported in various parts of Nayarit, including San Blas and Compostela.
In Jalcocotán, a community in San Blas, dozens of families had to go to a shelter because their homes were flooded, the newspaper Informador reported.
Man found dead in vehicle
A man died after his vehicle was swept by floodwaters into a canal. The man’s body was found inside his SUV in the El Contentillo canal in the La Floresta neighborhood, according to media reports. The vehicle only came into clear view after the water level in the canal dropped on Sunday.
The La Jornada newspaper reported that “an indeterminate number” of vehicles were swept away by floodwaters in Puerto Vallarta during the lengthy storm on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Soldier electrocuted, but reported in stable condition
Jalisco Civil Protection authorities said that a soldier was electrocuted in an unspecified “incident” while contributing to the disaster relief efforts in flooded areas of Puerto Vallarta.
He was transferred to the hospital and reported to be in “stable” condition.
With reports from El Diario NTR, La Jornada, La Verdad Noticias, Informador and Quadratín
