After disastrous flooding, Tamaulipas is picking up the pieces

Authorities are assessing the harm successful Reynosa, Tamaulipas, arsenic the metropolis recovers from dense rainfall and flooding that deed the Mexico-U.S. borderline past week. 

Local authorities successful Reynosa rescued astir 2,000 radical affected by the terrible flooding — victims who were either successful high-risk areas oregon trapped successful their vehicles. According to the Associated Press, 4 individuals were reported dead.

🇲🇽MÉXICO

🚨Reynosa, #Tamaulipas, colapsa por inundaciones tras fuertes #lluvias
Lo que parecía ser una elemental #lluvia se convirtió en un #tsunami que poco a poco fue devorando la ciudad hasta dejarla anegada. pic.twitter.com/zriyJ43vxm

— Agrimensura Fergo 67020976 (@agrimensuraferg) March 30, 2025

Officials are present moving to recognize the standard of the destruction, clearing retired waterlogged furniture, and moving to sanitize affected homes, schools and streets. 

Luis Gerardo González de la Fuente, caput of Tamaulipas Civil Protection, said that Reynosa was the astir affected city. However, parts of the borderline towns of Río Bravo, Miguel Alemán and Matamoros, crossed from Brownsville, were besides impacted.

To assistance victims, authorities person established impermanent shelters offering refuge, basal services, and aesculapian care. Additionally, the Defense Ministry and National Guard acceptable up a assemblage room to supply nutrient for those successful need.

The National Meteorological Service reported 316 mm of rainfall successful Reynosa connected March 26 and 27 — meaning the metropolis received 80% of its mean yearly rainfall successful conscionable 2 days. 

State Congressman Humberto Prieto Herrera said that the Tamaulipas legislature whitethorn petition that Reynosa — Tamaulipas’ largest metropolis — beryllium declared a national catastrophe zone.

Prieto Herrera added that section authorities volition suggest taxation reforms and waive the outgo of nationalist roadworthy usage fees for 3 months. The measures, helium said, are intended to enactment thoroughfare vendors from April done June, successful bid to assistance them get backmost connected their feet aft the crisis.

Reynosa’s thoroughfare vendors anticipation to instrumentality soon aft the flood h2o recedes. (Unsplash)

Tamaulipas is nary alien to flooding. In 2010, Hurricane Alex caused the Rio Grande to overflow its banks and saw the Reynosa Customs warehouses flood.

However, past week’s rainfall was not the effect of a hurricane. Instead, it was owed to antithetic upwind patterns caused by a tempest strategy that passed implicit the borderline municipality of Díaz Ordaz, triggering flash flooding that extended to the Rio Grande and Reynosa. 

 With reports from ABC Tamaulipas, Associated Press, La Jornada and Mas Tamaulipas