Published On 16 Oct 2025
The overwhelming stench of decay lingers far beyond Poza Rica, marking one of the hardest-hit areas following last week’s relentless downpours that swept through central and eastern Mexico.
As of Wednesday, authorities confirmed 66 fatalities, with the number of missing persons climbing to 75. Close to 200 communities remain cut off, especially in the mountainous heart of Hidalgo, where thick cloud cover has obstructed helicopter rescue missions.
In Poza Rica, a city known for its oil production near the Gulf, a persistent haze of dust blankets the main thoroughfare as soldiers tirelessly continue their relief efforts. To the city’s east, near the swollen Cazones River, many streets are submerged under approximately one meter of water and mud, topped by an additional two meters of debris, including discarded furniture and refuse.
“It’s even worse now than it was a week ago – you can’t even walk across the street,” shared Ana Luz Saucedo, who fled with her children when floodwaters surged “like a tidal wave.”
She voices growing concern over health risks, as a decomposing body near her residence remains unattended. “The corpse has started to rot, and no one has come to remove it.”
The aftermath of the devastating rains, floods, and landslides continues to unfold, with Mexican authorities pressing forward in rescue and recovery operations.
Officials explain that the disaster resulted from a rare convergence of weather phenomena – two tropical systems colliding with warm and cold fronts – striking at the end of an unusually heavy rainy season, leaving rivers swollen and hillsides unstable.
Locals like Saucedo criticize the lack of timely warnings, particularly in Poza Rica.
“Many lives were lost because we weren’t properly alerted,” she said. “They only came when the river was already flooding… not beforehand, so people could evacuate safely.”
President Claudia Sheinbaum clarified that alert systems for such flooding differ from those used for hurricanes. She emphasized the importance of reassessing river management and emergency response protocols post-crisis to identify “what was effective, what needs improvement, and whether better warning systems can be implemented.”
Military, naval, and civilian emergency units remain active across the affected regions, supported by hundreds of volunteers.
In Poza Rica, local women from Veracruz have been distributing clothing and over 1,000 homemade tamales to those displaced by the floods.
Meanwhile, authorities are focused on clearing obstructed roads, restoring power, and closely monitoring dams, many of which are now at full capacity.
