A floating seafood restaurant in Veracruz state has become an emblem of this month’s devastating floods after breaking free of its moorings and traveling into the gulf and hundreds of kilometers along the coast.
From its longtime location on the banks of the Tuxpan River in the northern Veracruz city of Tuxpan, the restaurant, El Atracadero (The Dock), was ripped from the city’s seawall on Oct. 10 as torrential rains from Hurricane Priscilla and Tropical Storm Raymond caused the river to overflow.
The 46-year-old restaurant — a well-recognized waterfront landmark — was close enough to the Gulf of Mexico that once it broke free, it was carried down river and eventually into the sea.
The Navy (Semar) confirmed that the structure broke into two modules as the floodwaters rose more than 7 meters — and that one of them drifted approximately 570 kilometers to the southern part of the state.
Along its southward journey, the restaurant passed the city of Heroica Veracruz and the popular tourist destination of Boca del Río, though there were no reported sightings from either area.
The main module, containing the kitchen and bathrooms, was found earlier last week near the port of Alvarado about 200 kilometers away.
The second section, which held the dining area, was seen floating Friday off the coast of Coatzacoalcos, a port city not far from the Veracruz-Tabasco border. Spotted less than a kilometer off the coast, it then became beached at Playa El Tesoro.
Both pieces have been secured by the Navy to prevent hazards to navigation.
Crowds gathered to witness the unusual sight, and videos posted by fishermen and residents show the wreckage drifting in open water.
“It’s something unusual to see — something you don’t see every day,” said Ulises, a Coatzacoalcos resident.
43,578 homes were damaged in Veracruz alone
The saga of El Atracadero unfolded amid widespread disaster across Veracruz, Mexico’s hardest-hit state in a month of relentless rain.
Mexico’s Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation Minister Jesús Esteva said last week that 40 municipalities in Veracruz were affected, with the floods and swollen rivers continuing to block many access routes.
A week after Mexico’s floods, the death toll is at 72 and dozens remain missing
Veracruz had confirmed 34 deaths in the latest official reports, among the 76 reported dead in five states in central and eastern Mexico.
At President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Monday morning press conference, federal officials said 43,578 homes were damaged in Veracruz alone.
The government announced a relief plan of 10 billion pesos (US $543.2 million) to cover damages in Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro and San Luis Potosí, pledging rapid reconstruction along with a new cell-phone alert system for floods and storms.
Welfare Minister Ariadna Montiel announced that 70,445 homes damaged by the rains and flooding have been surveyed in those five states.
Power has been restored to 98.7% of affected users, officials said, but rescue operations continue as remote communities struggle with collapsed bridges and contaminated water.
Montiel said the owners of homes with confirmed damage will quickly receive 20,000 pesos (US $1,086) for repairs, along with vouchers for household items (refrigerator, stove, mattress, dishes and fan) and an emergency food supply.
Additional support ranging from 25,000 pesos (US $1,358) to 70,000 pesos (US $3,802) will subsequently be provided for home reconstruction, depending on damage suffered.
Information on how individuals can help Mexico’s flood victims is here.
You can also visit the websites of the Mexican Red Cross and the national food bank network Bancos de Alimento de México.
