In November 2020, hurricane Eta mainly impacted Central America, but its effects also had a strong impact in southern Mexico. In the states of Chiapas and Tabascothe torrential rains associated with the system caused severe flooding and landslides. Rainfall exceeded historical accumulations, causing rivers to overflow, flooding entire communities and leaving thousands of people affected.
The consequences in Mexico were especially hard on vulnerable populations, where basic infrastructure could not withstand the magnitude of the rains. Many families lost their homes and belongings, and authorities reported fatalities in the midst of the emergency. Eta showed that, even if a cyclone does not make direct landfall in the country, the indirect effects as extreme rains can be just as devastating.
On the other hand, hurricane Gilbertin September 1988, went down in history as one of the most intense and destructive cyclones in the Atlantic. It reached a category 5 with sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph) before impacting the Cozumel Island and the Yucatan Peninsula. When it made landfall, it devastated everything in its path: destroyed homes, collapsed hotels, downed trees and downed power lines, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without basic services.
After crossing the Yucatan, Gilbert continued its trajectory towards the Gulf of Mexico, maintaining much of its strength. It then made landfall in the northeastern part of the country, at TamaulipasIt also caused severe flooding and damage to agriculture and livestock. In total, it is estimated that it caused the death of more than 200 people in the region and left millions in damages that took years to repair.
Gilbert's magnitude made it an emblematic hurricane for Mexico. Property damage reached historic proportions, affecting both the local economy and tourism in Cancun and other Mexican Caribbean cities. For many, Gilbert became a benchmark for what a large-scale cyclone could mean in terms of destruction and recovery.
Both Eta and Gilbert, in different contexts, highlight Mexico's vulnerability to extreme weather events. While Gilbert showed the brute force of wind and the direct impact of a major hurricane, Eta highlighted the risks of prolonged rains and flash floods. Both cases underscore the importance of having prevention plans, early warning systems and community resiliency strategies to reduce the impact of future hurricanes.
Here are the themes of this chapter and all of the above are available on our website.
02:00 Hurricane names in Mexico
02:50 Hurricane Otis
07:00 Rapidly intensifying hurricanes
10:00 Mexico's worst hurricanes
12:00 Hurricane Patricia
14:00 The origin of Mexico
17:30 Hurricane Gilbert
20:00 The Yucatan Peninsula
27:00 Hurricanes that leave their mark
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