Mexico: Hurricane John - Flash Update No. 02 as of 30 September 2024

HIGHLIGHTS

• Tropical Storm John made landfall again on 27 September in Michoacán, bringing heavy rains as it moved slowly along much of the Pacific coast. Although the storm dissipated, its remnants continue to cause rain in the region.
• John’s second impact has most affected the states of Michoacán, Oaxaca, and Guerrero, with Guerrero suffering the most due to the historic rainfall that has accumulated since 24 September.
• The city of Acapulco, in Guerrero, remains one of the hardest-hit areas, still recovering from the destruction caused by Category 5 Hurricane Otis in October 2023.
• The National Civil Protection Coordination updated the 26 September Emergency Declaration to include the municipalities of Cuautepec, Las Vigas, San Marcos, San Nicolás, and Acapulco de Juárez in Guerrero.
• The federal, state, and municipal governments continue their response efforts in Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Michoacán with support from the Armed Forces, the Red Cross, the private sector specializing in emergencies and disasters, and other civil and official organizations.
• The UN Resident Coordinator has offered the UN System’s support to the Government to complement national response efforts.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

General Overview

Tropical Storm John made its second landfall on 27 September in Michoacán, causing more damage as the impacts accumulated in southern Pacific coastal states. Federal and local authorities, the Armed Forces, the Mexican Red Cross, organized civil society, and the private sector have increased their response in Michoacán, Colima, Oaxaca, and Guerrero, with Guerrero suffering the most from torrential rains since John's first landfall as a Category 3 storm on 24 September. Reports from the most affected states estimate that 24 people have died from the storm. The rainfall following John’s passage has been historic, surpassing Hurricane Otis in 2023 and bringing 214 per cent more water than Hurricane Paulina in 1997.

State of Guerrero: The Port of Acapulco in Guerrero, one of the most affected areas along the Pacific coast, has reported widespread flooding, service outages, business closures, river overflows, landslides, road closures, airport and port shutdowns, bridge and road damage, and temporary loss of land access to Mexico City. The emergency required a large-scale deployment of search and rescue operations to help people trapped by floodwaters.

The National Civil Protection Coordination reported that more than 18,728 personnel from an interagency task force are carrying out population support efforts. This task force includes the Army, Navy, National Guard, Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport, Federal Electricity Commission, National Water Commission, and national health sector, all working alongside Guerrero’s government and Acapulco’s municipality. Federal authorities have evacuated 4,877 people from flooded areas and placed 5,000 people in 58 temporary shelters in the Costa Grande and Costa Chica regions.

The National Civil Protection Coordination, in collaboration with these interagency partners and civil society, has rescued 5,120 people, mainly from 19 neighborhoods in Acapulco with reports of flooding. The emergency extends to areas beyond Acapulco, including the mountainous region, where heavy rains have left some communities isolated. The Federal Government updated the Emergency Declaration, expanding it to cover additional municipalities, including Acapulco de Juárez, Cuautepec, Las Vigas, San Marcos, and San Nicolás.

State of Michoacán: The main damage affects eight municipalities in the coastal and Tierra Caliente regions: Aguililla, San Lucas, Apatzingán, Aquila, Arteaga, Coahuayana, La Huacana, Huetamo, and Lázaro Cárdenas. Flooding and waterlogging have been reported in the capital, Morelia. Due to rising river levels, the National Water Commission (Conagua) has increased controlled releases from key hydroelectric dams like Cointzio, El Infiernillo, and La Villita to ensure reservoir safety. In response, state authorities have activated temporary shelters in Aquila, Coahuayana, Huetamo, and Lázaro Cárdenas. There are no estimates yet of the number of people in shelters.

State of Oaxaca: Authorities report that landslides and rising rivers have cut off at least 30 communities. The response in the state continues, and the state government has announced plans to request an additional Emergency Declaration for the municipalities of Amoltepec, Santa María Zaniza, and Santiago Textitlán, in addition to those already declared, such as Santiago and Pinotepa Nacional. The governor has also stated that ongoing evaluations and surveys are identifying the number of people affected, in coordination with federal authorities.

National Response

The federal, state, and municipal governments, the Armed Forces, the Mexican Red Cross, the private sector, civil society, and other government agencies have increased support in the states affected by John. The Government has expanded its efforts in Guerrero, mobilizing more personnel for search and rescue operations, humanitarian assistance, the restoration of critical services, and protection of affected populations. The National Civil Protection System continues to respond in Michoacán, Oaxaca, and Colima and has established a Command Post at the 12th Naval Zone in Acapulco to coordinate operational actions between the three levels of government. Since 23 September, the Command Post has held eight sessions. Meteorologists are forecasting more rain in the coming days, especially in the Pacific, Central, and South-east regions, due to the rain bands left by the interaction of John and Helene in the Caribbean.

United Nations

The UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and the UN Country Team are monitoring the situation with support from OCHA and maintaining communication with authorities. The UN Resident Coordinator has offered the UN System’s support to complement national response efforts. The UN Emergency Technical Team (UNETT) is meeting to exchange information and assess the situation. OCHA, in support of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, is coordinating an update of the UN System’s capacity mapping, which is ready to be presented to the Government if needed. Partnerships with key actors such as the Red Cross, civil society organizations, and the National Center for Epidemiological and Disaster Support (CENACED), which coordinates Mexico’s Connecting Business Initiative (CBi) network, are activating to assess the situation.