Central and eastern Mexico are reeling from historic floods and landslides in October 2025, a disaster that has claimed at least 66 lives, left up to 257 people missing, and impacted 100,000 homes. This comprehensive analysis dives into the meteorological drivers, the devastating impact on communities, the government’s highly scrutinized response, and the long-term implications for disaster preparedness in the region.
The month of October 2025 brought unprecedented devastation to several states in central and eastern Mexico, as torrential rains triggered widespread floods and landslides. This catastrophic event has transformed streets into raging rivers, obliterated roads and bridges, and isolated countless communities, exposing both the vulnerability of the region and the complexities of governmental disaster management.
The Unseen Forces: Meteorological Factors Behind the Deluge
Meteorologists indicate that the severity of the rains was a result of a dangerous confluence of weather systems. A tropical system from the Gulf of Mexico combined with a cold front from the north, unleashing an extraordinary volume of water. This event followed an already unusually wet year for Mexico, with Mexico City experiencing its wettest June in over two decades, according to reports from the Associated Press. Further analysis by experts suggests the remnants of Hurricane Priscilla and Tropical Storm Raymond also contributed to the intense rainfall affecting the country, especially its western regions initially.
President Claudia Sheinbaum noted that there were “no scientific or meteorological conditions that could have indicated… that the rainfall would be of this magnitude,” explaining that the government’s focus had been on two separate storms off the Pacific coast. The torrential rains off the Gulf Coast, arriving towards the end of the rainy season, battered land that was already thoroughly soaked by months of prior rainfall, significantly escalating the risk of overflow and landslides.
A Nation Submerged: Impact Across Key States
The floods and landslides have left a trail of destruction across numerous states, with Veracruz, Hidalgo, and Puebla being among the hardest hit. Reports indicate that over 150 cities and municipalities have been affected, with approximately 100,000 houses either destroyed or damaged, and close to 1,000 kilometers of roads rendered impassable. Critical infrastructure suffered immensely, including 59 medical facilities and 308 schools.
Hidalgo’s Ordeal
In Hidalgo, one of the most severely impacted areas, the disaster led to 21 confirmed deaths and 43 people reported missing. Beyond the human toll, approximately 16,000 homes were damaged, with widespread power outages affecting 17 of its 84 municipalities. An alarming 90 communities were left without communication, exacerbating rescue challenges. The municipality of San Bartolo Tutotepec exemplifies the struggle, where residents like Cira Gonzalez, a 44-year-old landslide survivor, live in fear of their homes collapsing and rely on basic sustenance like tortillas due to damaged ATMs and inaccessible roads, as reported by Agence France-Presse.
Veracruz: Rivers Unleashed
Veracruz experienced staggering rainfall, with over 21 inches falling between October 6 and 9 alone. This led to at least 29 deaths, including a police officer, and devastated 70 municipalities, damaging nearly 30,000 homes. The city of Poza Rica, an oil hub, was severely impacted by the overflow of the Cazones River, while Álamo suffered extensive flooding from the Pantepec River. The Mexican Navy was instrumental in evacuating around 900 people to shelters, while a distressing 192 students from Veracruzana University were reported missing, highlighting the deep community impact.
Puebla, San Luis Potosí, and Querétaro: Widespread Devastation
Puebla saw 9 fatalities and 13 missing persons across 38 municipalities, with roughly 80,000 people affected and 16,000 houses damaged. Rescuers were actively helping people stranded on rooftops, and a landslide caused a gas pipeline to rupture, adding to the dangers. In San Luis Potosí, 13 municipalities in the Huasteca Potosina region experienced significant damage, including 2,200 damaged homes and four overflowing bodies of water. Querétaro also faced severe impact in its Sierra Gorda region, with a tragic incident on October 10 where a six-year-old child died after being swept away by a landslide in Pinal de Amoles.
The Human Element: Stories from the Ground
Beyond the statistics, the floods have generated countless stories of hardship and resilience. In Tenango de Doria, Hidalgo, farmer Marco Mendoza recounted walking “two-and-a-half hours through the mud” in a futile search for food, stating, “everything is completely undone; we have no supplies, no food, nothing.” Similarly, Francisco Hernandez, a 63-year-old farmer from nearby El Texme, described his community as trapped after a river burst its banks, as detailed by Agence France-Presse.
Despite the overwhelming scale of the disaster, community spirit shines through. In areas like San Bartolo Tutotepec, residents are tirelessly working to clear roads unreached by the military, using rocks to mark blocked paths. Lucio Islas, a 73-year-old retired mechanic, embodies this spirit by providing free transport to exhausted residents, explaining, “in the Otomi mountains, ‘we help each other’.”
Government on Trial: Response, Resources, and Reforms
The federal government, led by President Sheinbaum, swiftly deployed approximately 10,000 troops with boats, planes, and helicopters to aid in rescue efforts and deliver essential supplies. Shelters have been established for the displaced, and continuous flights are working to bring food and water to isolated populations. Sheinbaum emphasized that “many flights are needed… to deliver enough food and water.”
The Fonden Debate: A Lingering Question
However, the government’s response has not been without significant criticism. A major point of contention is the prior elimination of the country’s Natural Disaster Fund (Fonden) by Sheinbaum’s predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who cited corruption as the reason. President Sheinbaum has defended this decision, stating that “defending Fonden is like defending corruption.” Critics, including opposition deputy Gibran Ramirez of the Citizens’ Movement party, argue that scrapping Fonden has left the government unprepared and its response “lamentable” and characterized by “improvisation.” Ramirez anticipates that the government will resort to direct cash transfers, similar to those after Hurricane Otis in Acapulco in 2023, to alleviate public anger, as reported by Reuters.
Sheinbaum maintains that the federal government possesses sufficient resources, allocating 19 billion pesos ($1.03 billion USD) for emergencies, of which around 3 billion pesos have already been utilized. She outlined a two-stage aid plan for affected areas: initial cleanup, followed by direct support based on damage to homes, and subsequently, infrastructure restoration.
Facing the Critics
President Sheinbaum has personally visited affected regions, including Poza Rica, Álamo, and Huauchinango, to assess the damage and reassure residents. Her visits, however, have not been uniformly positive, with Reuters noting she “encountered rare hostile crowds and heckling” and confronted angry people in Veracruz searching for relatives. Despite the public backlash and questions regarding early warnings, Sheinbaum maintains that “it would have been difficult to have information in advance about this situation, unlike what happens with hurricanes,” citing the complex meteorological factors at play. She assured citizens, “Everyone will be attended to. We are not going to hide anything.”
Looking Ahead: Resilience and Preparedness
As skies began to clear in some areas, enabling the deployment of heavy machinery for clearance, the long road to recovery has just begun. The October 2025 floods serve as a stark reminder of Mexico’s susceptibility to extreme weather events and underscore the critical need for robust disaster preparedness strategies. The debate surrounding the effectiveness of government response and the allocation of emergency funds will undoubtedly shape future policy, while the resilience of affected communities remains a testament to the enduring human spirit in the face of overwhelming natural forces.
The scale of this disaster, with its significant human toll and extensive property damage, demands a concerted effort from all levels of government and civil society. Learning from these events will be paramount to building more resilient communities and ensuring a swifter, more effective response to future challenges.
