By David Agren
The Archdiocese of Acapulco has suspended church services and instructed priests to turn their parishes into support centers after torrential rains on one of the busiest weekends of the year left the city cut off from other parts of Mexico.
The flooding forced residents to flee to safer ground and trapped thousands of tourists in what is normally a busy vacation period.
“Damages still have not been quantified, but now is the time to organize assistance for the affected populations,” Archbishop Carlos Garfias Merlos of Acapulco said in a statement Sept. 16.
“I want to express our presence in support and closeness in a direct way to all those affected by the torrential rains and especially those that have been left homeless or have lost loved ones,” he said.
Tropical Storm Manuel dumped up to 24 inches of rain on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, provoking floods and mudslides in the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Puebla, Hidalgo, Michoacan and Veracruz. At the same time Hurricane Ingrid hit the Gulf Coast side of the country. It is the first time recorded that two storms struck Mexico on opposite coasts at the same time, according to federal officials.
The Interior Ministry estimated 1.2 million Mexicans were affected by the storms, while at least 52 lives were likely lost. The storm trapped an estimated 40,000 tourists in Acapulco for the long Independence Day weekend as the sections of the Mexico City highway were wiped out.
Although once the granddaddy of Mexican destinations, Acapulco now draws mostly domestic tourists from Mexico City and its environs, a five-hour drive to the north. – CNS