Death toll rises to six as storms trigger flooding in Ensenada
Severe flooding and landslides along Mexico’s Pacific coast killed six people Tuesday, authorities said. The casualties followed intense rains from Hurricane Simon and the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel. The coastal city of Ensenada in Baja California suffered the worst reported damage.
Remnants of Rachel brought high waters that killed at least five people in Ensenada. The dead include a 13-year-old girl found Sunday, according to the state prosecutor’s office.
Authorities recovered bodies of two women and a 4-year-old boy Monday. Rescuers found an unidentified person near a stream Tuesday. Five people remained missing across Baja California.
Three individuals were missing in Ensenada. A father and son went fishing Saturday in San Felipe on the Gulf of California. They never returned.
About 300 military personnel, police and rescue workers searched along Ensenada’s El Pipila stream Tuesday. State civil protection authorities said the Mexican Navy searched for the missing fishermen.
Rising water swept away vehicles, damaged houses and blocked road access to several communities. Power failed quickly.
Buena Vista resident Johana Nuriulu said the high water arrived overnight. Heavy downpours cut power just before the surge hit.
“We heard a loud noise that sounded like ocean waves, but very intense,” Nuriulu said.
She stepped outside and saw an overflowing stream. The water swept away a cabin and animals.
Mexican soldiers flew helicopters to rescue 32 people from Rancho Genesis near Ensenada. The site operates as a camp for orphans staffed by missionaries.
The rescued group included 13 minors. The army said 22 of those rescued were foreign nationals. Baja California Security Secretary Gen. Laureano Carrillo said the group included Americans and Germans.
Hurricane Simon moved parallel to the Pacific coastline Tuesday as a Category 1 storm. The system threatened more rainfall across Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa. Officials monitored rising rivers.
Simon was centered roughly 180 kilometers west of Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco. The U.S. National Hurricane Center reported maximum sustained winds reached 150 kph. It moved west at 4 kph.
The storm caused severe damage over the weekend in the southern state of Guerrero. Simon toppled trees, downed utility poles and flooded houses, Gov. Evelyn Salgado said. Impacts hit coastal areas including Acapulco.
A 71-year-old person died when a wall collapsed in Chilpancingo, Salgado said. Officials took safety steps in the port city of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Civil Protection Coordinator Laura Velázquez said Monday.
Conditions improved in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. Rain subsided there, letting residents resume daily tasks. Officials reopened schools Tuesday, and operations gradually resumed at the local airport.
Civil protection agencies coordinate emergency responses and issue warnings during tropical weather emergencies. Teams organize evacuations and open public shelters for displaced residents. Coastal ports often close to small vessels during high surf.
Search operations continued Tuesday along the coast of Baja California. Responders tracked additional threats from Simon as the hurricane moved through the Pacific.
