Attachments
CRISIS IMPACT OVERVIEW
• By 29 October 2024, 11 cyclonic events in the Pacific and 15 tropical cyclones in the Atlantic had entered Mexico since the start of the year. These severely affected coastal states, causing deaths, injuries, and longterm damage to service facilities, shelters, and livelihoods (SMN 29/10/2024; Milenio 16/10/2024).
• The Pacific Coast of Mexico received the first landfall of Hurricane John on 23 September and then the second landfall on 27 September (El País 04/10/2024; OCHA 27/09/2024). John was upgraded from a tropical storm into a Category 3 hurricane on 23 September, with winds of about 193km/h when it made landfall. The storm eventually dissipated and, on 30 September, was downgraded into a tropical storm. By 18 October, John had moved out of the country (El País 04/10/2024; NYT 23/09/2024). A total of 950mm (37in) of rain fell across parts of Guerrero, with similarly extreme rainfall in neighbouring Oaxaca and Michoacan states (The Watchers 02/10/2024). The affected states are no longer in a state of emergency, but the damage persists, and people continue to report related impacts.
• The most affected states were Guerrero, Michoacan, and Oaxaca, including the port of Acapulco, which Hurricane Otis also severely affected in October 2023 (El País 04/10/2024; OCHA 27/09/2024). In Guerrero, Hurricane John killed at least 29 people and affected 270,000 (LADEVi 14/10/2024; EFE 29/09/2024). The hurricane also affected an estimated 10,100 people in Oaxaca, while the exact number in Michoacan was unknown (Infobae 27/10/2024).
• Heavy flooding and landslides resulting from the hurricane affected at least 730,000 children and adolescents (UNICEF 03/10/2024). Most of the people affected had also faced the impacts of past hurricanes, including Hurricane Otis in 2023.
• Hurricane John affected 29 municipalities in Guerrero (including 39 urban and 18 rural neighbourhoods in Acapulco), 22 in Oaxaca, and at least eight in Michoacan (OCHA 30/09/2024; Excelsior 04/10/2024). By 4 October, the hurricane had damaged around 39,000 houses in Guerrero state alone (Excelsior 04/10/2024).
• Hurricane John caused flash floods, landslides, and strong winds, which blocked major roads and damaged essential infrastructure. Following the hurricane, access to water has been limited. It has also disrupted education in over 200 schools, and communities have lost essential crops and livelihoods (El País 04/10/2024; La Jornada 12/10/2024). On 16 October, protests about the lack of water and electricity were reported in Acapulco (Reforma 16/10/2024).
• While the Pacific Coast was bracing for the impacts of Hurricane John, Hurricane Milton affected the Atlantic Coast between 7–9 October, causing localised flooding, storm surges, infrastructure damage, and one reported fatality in the Yucatan Peninsula (OCHA 11/10/2024).
• In the INFORM Risk Index, Mexico has a score of 5.0/10, indicating high vulnerability and exposure to natural hazards, particularly cyclones and earthquakes, as well as human-induced hazards, such as armed violence (EC accessed 18/10/2024).