2020 Southeastern Mexico floods

The Southeastern Mexico floods of 2020 were a series of floods that began in October 2020 and affected the region Southeast Mexico, especially Chiapas, Tabasco, Veracruz and other states.

At least 28 people died and more than 368,000 were affected as of November 14. According to an official count, in Tabasco there were eight deaths and 302,498 people are affected, in Chiapas twenty deaths and 54,976 victims, and in Veracruz 10,848 people are affected.

Background
Tabasco is a state prone to major flooding, since around the 60% of the territory is flat and therefore vulnerable to overflowing of nearby rivers. In 2007, the state suffered a series of floods that affected around one million inhabitants. The management of the Grijalva hydroelectric complex and the heavy rains during 2020 in the region have contributed to the floods.

Previously, in July 2020, the tropical storm Cristobal caused flooding in the states of Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatan. Floods have worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Floods
The first major floods occurred in the states of Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo in early October, due to three consecutive cyclones, Tropical Storm Gamma and the hurricane Delta and Zeta.

Yucatán was the most affected state, many homes were damaged.

In Quintana Roo tourists had to be evacuated from Isla Holbox.

Entire communities were flooded in Campeche.

The most severe floods occurred during the month of November, affecting the states of Tabasco, Chiapas and Veracruz, the interaction of Tropical Storm Eta and the cold fronts caused torrential rains, and in turn the overflowing of ten rivers, including the Usumacinta River and the Grijalva River.

The Tabasco governor Adán Augusto López Hernández accused the CFE which is in charge of carrying out the releases of the Peñitas Dam.

Tabasco is the state most affected by the floods, people have had to travel in boats, acts of looting have been observed.

In Tabasco, more than 150,000 affected people have been reported, 8 deaths and more than 12,000 affected people are in temporary shelters, confirmed the coordinator of the Institute of Civil Protection of the State, Jorge Mier and Terán.

In Chiapas, 22 deaths have been recorded by Civil defense.

In the south of the state of Veracruz there are more than 10 thousand victims.

Answer
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has activated the Plan DN-III-E.

Emergency declarations have been issued.