The Pacific coast resort city of Acapulco, which was devastated by the impact of Hurricane Otis last October, was drenched last week by Hurricane and Tropical Storm John, disrupting all commercial flights.
Runways at Acapulco International Airport are flooded, restricting operations to only rescue flights. According to a statement on the airport’s X account, members of the National Guard are carrying out cleaning and water pumping tasks, along with airport employees, but authorities say the closure will continue until further notice.
¡Atención! El Aeropuerto Internacional de Acapulco ha suspendido sus operaciones ya que se encuentra inundado tras la tormenta tropical John; las autoridades informaron que reanudarán los vuelos cuando mejoren las condiciones.
: @AztecaNoticias pic.twitter.com/NyHBjj4bNB
— Político MX (@politicomx) September 27, 2024
The newspaper El Universal reported that an Aeroméxico airplane was stranded at the airport and that the parking lot at Terminal 2 — inaugurated six years ago by former President Enrique Peña Nieto — also remains flooded.
Juan Ramos, the head of monitoring at the Acapulco Civil Protection Communications Center, told the newspaper El País that in just four days, from Sept. 23 to 27, Acapulco was soaked by an entire year’s worth of rain.
“It was a lot of water,” Ramos stressed. “It was an extraordinary phenomenon that has surpassed all the statistics.”
Officials have reported that the number of dead in Guerrero has risen to 23, while 5,000 people have been displaced in the coastal city due to severe flooding and landslides.
Claudia Sheinbaum, who will be sworn in as Mexico’s new president on Tuesday, said her first trip as president would be to Guerrero, where she will “assess the damage” and ensure residents get “all necessary assistance.”
Meanwhile, another low-pressure system is developing off the coast, and more heavy rains are in the forecast for the area.
“It is essential that we remain alert and prepared. We will continue to report,” Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado wrote on her X account on Monday.
Which roads are closed in Guerrero?
John also wreaked havoc on highways in Guerrero, including several sections of the Chilpancingo-Acapulco highway, the Iguala-Chilpancingo highway and the Acapulco-Zihuatanejo highway. Authorities are working to repair damage caused by fallen trees, landslides and road collapses.
With reports from La Jornada, El Universal and El País
