Yucatan Flood (2007)

A low-lying state in the Yucatan Peninsula in southeastern Mexico, Tabasco is affected by flooding every year. But at the end of October 2007, heavy rain, caused by two cold fronts and the effects of Tropical Storm Noel, produced unprecedented flooding, driving over 100,000 people out of their homes to look for emergency shelter and cutting off thousands more who lived in rural areas. On October 30, the Interior Ministry issued a declaration of emergency for the entire state, prompting a rapid emergency response from government and nongovernment organizations (NGOs).

Eighty percent of the state was flooded, with densely populated areas receiving the most damage. Twenty-two people were killed, and a total of approximately 1.6 million residents were affected. Economic damage caused by the flooding was estimated to be around $3 billion, which represented nearly 30 percent of the income of Tabasco, making the 2007 floods the second most costly disaster in Mexico in the 2000s and one of the most costly disasters in the world.

The flood generated great national unity among Mexicans. Donations were received from all over the country, and huge quantities of aid were sent from abroad. The Republic of Ireland was the largest donor, pledging 1 million euros. Disaster relief efforts focused on supplying bottled water, food, hygiene kits, and mosquito nets to residents trapped in their houses and those evacuated to temporary shelters. Contaminated floodwaters posed a serious health risk to those who were forced to drink it, and contributed to an increase in disease-carrying mosquitoes. A health campaign was initiated by the national government, reaching one million inhabitants from 14 municipalities. No malaria or cholera outbreaks were reported as a result of the implementation of these contingency measures. Additional activities conducted in the month following the disaster included: approximately 1,000 environmental sanitation visits, the fumigation of over 100,000 hectares of land, vector control in schools, and 500,000 vaccinations.

Relief efforts were carried out by government and NGOs, delivering approximately 16,000 tons of humanitarian relief items that benefited an estimated 1.5 million people. Key actors included the Mexican Red Cross, supported by the International Federation (IFRC); Partner National Societies (PNS); the private sector; and the general public. By the end of January 2008, the emergency phase ended, and agencies working in Tabasco shifted their focus to meeting the long-term needs of the affected population. Mexican Red Cross activities focused on the Macuspana municipality in the state of Tabasco, identified as one of the most affected areas.

Agriculture, a principle source of income in the state, was devastated by the flooding. Tabasco is Mexico's leading cocoa producer and accounts for 40 percent of the country's banana production. The floods completely destroyed these crops and caused serious damage to [Page 806]others, such as corn and plantains. The National Center for Disaster Prevention (CENAPRED) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) estimated total damages in a number of different sectors, including $890 million in agriculture; $597 million in social sectors (housing and health, education, and cultural infrastructure); and over $1 billion in other productive activities (commerce, manufacturing, construction, tourism, and other services). The federal government allocated approximately $650 million from its Natural Disasters Fund (FONDEN) in order to reconstruct and rehabilitate the destroyed areas; it also provided a tax extension for affected businesses and residences until June 2008.

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