Hurricane John Death Toll at Least 16: Mexican Authorities

AFP/APP

Acapulco, Mexico: The death toll from Hurricane John, which made landfall twice on Mexico’s Pacific coast, has risen to at least 16, authorities said Sunday.

Outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, in a message on X, updated the toll in Guerrero state to 15, while a civil protection official in the neighboring state of Oaxaca told AFP another life was lost there. Some media said the toll was at least 20.

John made landfall on Tuesday as a Category 3 hurricane before churning along the coast for several days and striking land again as a tropical storm. The storm left the beachside city of Acapulco submerged, causing panic in a town where memories are still fresh of Hurricane Otis — a scale-topping Category 5 storm that left a trail of destruction and several dozen people dead in October last year.

Cars were left buried in deep sand, and a bridge collapsed as a result of the storm. Some 18,000 military and rescue personnel were deployed to deal with John, according to authorities. More than 5,000 people were evacuated from high-risk areas, and about 3,800 were taken to shelters.

The water level had started dropping by Sunday, and a cleanup was underway. Many people wandered the muddy streets of Acapulco over the weekend, searching for food and fuel or waiting for emergency aid.

President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, due to take over from Lopez Obrador on Tuesday, said on X she will visit Guerrero state with her ministers the day after her swearing-in to assess the situation and ensure “all the necessary assistance.”

Hurricanes hit Mexico every year on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts, usually between May and November. In July, Hurricane Beryl forced the evacuation of hundreds of tourists and caused at least 18 deaths in the Caribbean, Venezuela, and the United States.

Meanwhile, rescuers battled on Sunday to reach people in need of aid in the southeastern United States following devastating Hurricane Helene, which has left dozens dead.

Scientists say climate change likely plays a role in the rapid intensification of hurricanes, because there is more energy in warmer oceans for them to feed on.