Mexico has been hit by multiple natural disasters this year.
Our southern neighbor has faced hurricanes Ingrid, Manuel and Karen, as well as tropical storm Octave. But 2013 brought more disasters.
STORMS RAVAGE
Hurricane Ingrid ran through the state of Tamaulipas and required evacuations for tens of thousands of people in order to keep them away from the torrential rains.
The rains caused mudslides and buried more than forty homes.
Hurricane Manuel invited 24 inches of rain through the state of Guerrero.
The storm returned after the first strike to wreak more havoc on Sinaloa with 75 miles per hour winds and flooding. More than 15 cities were destroyed by a large amount of flooding and mud after the storms dissipated.
Following the effects of Ingrid and Manuel, Mexico had a terrible landslide.
The slide caused financial struggles for thousands of Mexican residents. Now residents have to face the daunting task of repairing houses and streets.
Hurricane Karen was a more recent storm, developed on Oct. 3, over the Yucatan Channel and the southern Gulf of Mexico.
Tropical Storm Octave was aimed towards Mexico’s Baja peninsula and became a potential threat to the California coast.
It traveled at close to 13 miles per hour towards Cabo San Lazaro, Mexico, according to Miami’s National Hurricane Center.
Winds reached up to 60 miles per hour at the highest point in the storm.
GROUND SHAKES
Mexico also faced a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in April.
The earthquake was originally reported as a 6.2 quake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
There wasn’t much damage, but it was a scare for oil companies and many other businesses in Mexico City and near La Union.
Some say the devastation these disasters caused is linked to lack of preparation by Mexico’s government.
“Acapulco is a symbol of the lack of urban planning and the absence of a culture of preventing disasters,” Gerardo Esquivel, a professor at the Colegio de México, said on Twitter.
Federico Estévez, political science professor at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico, says most media and government attention is focused on emergency relief – not how the devastation could have been prevented, according to Christian Science Monitor.
PREVENTION PLANNED
The Mexican government said the country hadn’t seen a similar weather crisis since 1958, when the country was simultaneously hit by two tropical storms, also on separate coasts, according to the Huffington Post.
People were killed in landslides, power outages occurred, many drowned in flood water and cars crashed due to the speeding waters.
What is causing all of these disasters?
Is global warming a factor? El Nino has increased precipitation and affects the regions nearby.
NASA predicts warmer waters and increased precipitation.
The National Water Commission is said to be planning for future disasters under the order of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.
A drainage tunnel is in the process of being built which will help with future catastrophes.
This project, known as the Emisor Oriente, began under the leadership of former President Felipe Calderón. It is set to open in 2014.
The biggest problem for Mexico when these disasters hit is how much danger could have been prevented, yet wasn’t.
There is so much that can be done, such as properly structured evacuation routes, disaster awareness programs and proper information given out through radio.
There have been more than 100 deaths in 2013 so far, directly linked to Manuel and Ingrid.
What will be the new death toll if Mexico continues to put off proper prevention plans?