The catastrophic aftermath of last week’s torrential rains in central and southeastern Mexico has deepened, with the death toll climbing to 64 and 65 individuals still unaccounted for, as reported by Civil Defense Coordinator Laura Velázquez Alzúa. The relentless downpour triggered severe flooding and landslides, wreaking havoc across five states and leaving communities in ruins. President Claudia Sheinbaum has pledged to deploy “sufficient resources” without delay, emphasizing the nation’s ongoing state of emergency. The scale of destruction is staggering, with preliminary estimates indicating that over 100,000 homes have been affected. In riverside areas, entire dwellings have “practically vanished,” according to the President. In Poza Rica, an oil town located 170 miles northeast of Mexico City, residents were overwhelmed by the sudden surge of floodwaters. The Cazones River overflowed, unleashing over 12 feet (4 meters) of water into low-lying neighborhoods before dawn on October 10. Witnesses described hearing a terrifying “wall of water” before seeing it, accompanied by the deafening sounds of vehicles colliding as they were swept away. While some residents sensed the impending danger hours earlier and managed to flee with minimal belongings, the absence of an official warning system exacerbated the tragedy.