2007 Tabasco flood
Encyclopedia
October 2007
October 2007 is the tenth month of that year. It began on a Monday and 31 days later, ended on a Wednesday.-International holidays:* October 2 – Gandhi Jayanti * October 3 – Last third of Ramadan which includes Laylat al-Qadr...
and early November 2007 in the Mexican states of Tabasco
Tabasco
Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
and Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, in which as much as 80% of the former was left under water. At least 20,000 people were forced to seek emergency shelter. Over 1,000,000 residents were affected.
Geography
Tabasco
Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
is bordered by the states of Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
to the west, Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
to the south, and Campeche
Campeche
Campeche is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in Southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the states of Yucatán to the north east, Quintana Roo to the east, and Tabasco to the south west...
to the north-east. To the east Tabasco borders with the Petén
Petén (department)
Petén is a department of the nation of Guatemala. It is geographically the northernmost department of Guatemala, as well as the largest in size — at it accounts for about one third of Guatemala's area. The capital is Flores...
department
Departments of Guatemala
||Guatemala is divided into 22 departments :#Alta Verapaz#Baja Verapaz#Chimaltenango#Chiquimula#Petén#El Progreso#El Quiché#Escuintla#Guatemala#Huehuetenango#Izabal#Jalapa#Jutiapa#Quetzaltenango#Retalhuleu#Sacatepéquez...
of Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, and to the north with the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. Tabasco is in the northern half of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
Isthmus of Tehuantepec
The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is an isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, and prior to the opening of the Panama Canal was a major shipping route known simply as the Tehuantepec Route...
. The state capital is Villahermosa
Villahermosa
Like most of the Tabasco, Villahermosa has a tropical climate. The city specifically features a tropical monsoon climate. Temperatures during spring and summer seasons reach upwards of 40°C , with humidity levels hovering around 30% during the same period...
.
The hydrology of Tabasco is complex. Most of the state is a wide coastal plain crossed by rivers coming from the mountains further south in Chiapas and Guatemala. The two main rivers in the region are the Río Grijalva and the Río Usumacinta, which converge before draining into the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
north of Villahermosa through the wildlife-rich wetlands known as the Pantanos de Centla
Pantanos de Centla
The Pantanos de Centla is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in southern Mexico, which includes seasonally flooded forests and wetlands.-Setting:The ecoregion covers an area of in the states of Tabasco and Campeche...
.
These rivers are considered mature, since they are in the lowest part of their course, and the plain they cross allows them broad, wide flows, meandering and dividing into separate branches.
This is the case with the Grijalva, which separates into several branches in the central part of Tabasco (known locally as the Río Carrizal, Río Samaría and Río Mezcalapa). These three rivers converge at Villahermosa, where they recombine and again take the name Grijalva.
The main branch of the Grijalva in Chiapas is dammed by the country's four largest hydroelectric plants.
Causes of the floods
The Tabasco floods caused largely by the sinking of the land over the last century. The constant extraction of petroleum and gas, the construction of dams in the zone, the erosion of land and deforestation have all contributed toward making this region more flood-prone. Deforestation has allowed silt to fill in rivers thereby reducing their capacity and making floods more likely.With the onset of constant rainfall due to a low pressure system located nearby, the combination of these influences contributed to making the flood event even worse that it might otherwise have been.
Some have suggested that Global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
has increased sea levels, making water regions at the low sandy zones of the Gulf of Mexico disappear. However, sea level rises due to global warming are probably still negligible in their contribution to these floods.
A number of sources point to the misuse of hydroelectric dams as a cause of the floods. Hydroelectric plants in the dams of Tabasco share the production of electricity with newer, private, more expensive gas plants. Investors complained that government owned plants cover most of the production of the electricity, lowering the price, and have put pressure on the government to lessen production on hydroelectric plants in order for them to sell more energy and raise their profit levels. This allegedly led to the dams retaining more water than they should have done.
Impact
Tabasco was subject to heavy rainRain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
in late October and early November 2007, causing widespread flooding. As much as 80% of the state was under water. At least 20,000 people were forced to leave their houses in the search of emergency shelter. Over 1,000,000 residents have been affected.
The 2007 Tabasco flood not only destroyed many family houses and took away people’s belongings, but also affected theaters, libraries, artistic schools and museums. One of the buildings affected was the house of the poet Carlos Pellicer Cámara, which ended up under the water. The house where the poet lived his childhood is located in Narciso Sáenz 203, in the center of Villahermosa, Tabasco.
Another historical house affected is located at 620 Calle Lerdo de Tejada, in Villahermosa, close to Carlos Pellicer’s house. The house once was occupied by José Gorostiza
José Gorostiza
' was a Mexican poet, educator, and diplomat. For his achievements in the poetic arts, he was made a member of the .-Biography: was born in the riverine city of , then known as , to and . His younger brother would also become an important artist. He moved to Mexico City to attend the National...
, the author of the ‘’Muerte sin fin’’ poem, his brother, the dramatist Celestino Gorostiza
Celestino Gorostiza
Celestino Gorostiza Alcalá was a Mexican theater and cine playwright, director and dramatist.- Biography :...
, and the man of letters Andrés Iduarte
Andrés Iduarte
Andrés Iduarte Foucher was a distinguished Mexican essayist and member of the Mexican Academy of Language.-Biography:...
.
Economic impact at national levels will be insignificant. There is important damage in the fields which is causing increases in banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
and cacao prices. The flood in Tabasco will not affect the economy in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
as much. Guillermo Ortiz Martínez, president of the Banco de México
Banco de México
The Bank of Mexico , abbreviated BdeM or Banxico, is Mexico's central bank and lender of last resort. The Bank of Mexico is autonomous in exercising its functions, and its main objective is to achieve stability in the purchasing power of the national currency.On December 15, 2009, Agustín Carstens...
(the central bank), agrees that Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
will not have excessive inflation because of the Tabasco
Tabasco
Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
flood. But some prices of products will increase such as banana and cacao.
The General Peasant Confederation informed that because of the flooding, 100% of the harvests are lost. This represents an economic damage of US$480 million. President Felipe Calderón
Felipe Calderón
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
has sent seven thousand and five hundred people to help people in Tabasco
Tabasco
Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
. This is because of the major damage to roads, houses, and farms.
The flood destroyed agricultural production in the state of Tabasco
Tabasco
Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
, the largest producer of cocoa in the country and a major source of bananas, but is not expected that losses affect international prices, experts said on Friday. Tabasco
Tabasco
Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
produces 80% of all Mexico's cocoa and 40% of its bananas, according to Luis Rey Carrasco Linares, an expert from the Autonomous University of Chapingo with his squad in Tabasco
Tabasco
Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
. The heavy rains that punished the state for more than a week occurred during the cocoa harvest, which lasts from September to December, Carrasco said. All this year's harvest is under water and was lost, he added.The floods caused profound devastation to agriculture, which is a Principal source of Income in the state.
The loss will have its greatest impact for the more than 30,000 families who earn their living in the production of cocoa, Carrasco said, adding that before the flood, farmers were grappling with a
plague of fungus
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
.
"The situation is extraordinarily serious: This is one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the country" said President
President of Mexico
The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
Felipe Calderón
Felipe Calderón
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
in a televised address on the night of November 1, 2007.
The Tabasco flood caused the loss of thousands of books from the Villahermosa central library and 78 other libraries from five different municipalities. The Grijalva River affected the infrastructure and works of the José María Pino Suárez State Library where the entire vault is full of water. The water also flooded the auditorium causing widespread damage to furniture and equipment, rising to the second floor and damaging 15,000 books from the general collection.
Chronology
- October 23, 2007: An accident that occurred amid storm conditions in the Bay of CampecheBay of CampecheThe Bay of Campeche is the southern bight of the Gulf of Mexico. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexican states of Campeche, Tabasco and Veracruz. It was named by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba and Antonio de Alaminos during their expedition in 1517...
necessitates the evacuation of a PemexPemexPetróleos Mexicanos or Pemex is a Mexican state-owned petroleum company. As of 2010, with a total asset worth of $415.75 billion, it is the second non-publicly listed largest company in the world by total market value, and Latin America's second largest enterprise by annual revenue as of 2009...
oil exploration platform. In the rescue operation, 23 workers' lives are lost and, days later, a major oil slick arrives on the coast of CampecheCampecheCampeche is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in Southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the states of Yucatán to the north east, Quintana Roo to the east, and Tabasco to the south west...
and TabascoTabascoTabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
. Heavy rain continues to fall over the southern Gulf CoastGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
for the remainder of the week. - October 30, 2007: In the afternoon of 30 October, the Río Grijalva and some of its affluents begin to break their banks. Flooding alerts are broadcast over local TV and radio for the municipalities of CentroCentro (municipality)The Municipality of Centro is one of the 17 subdivisions of the Mexican state of Tabasco. Its municipal seat is located in the city of Villahermosa...
, CunduacánCunduacánCunduacán is a municipality in the central portion of the state of Tabasco, in Mexico. It is located at about 18°4'0"North, 93°10'0"West.It is located in the Grijalva River Region, Chontalpa subregion. Its name originates from the Mayan cum-ua-cán, which means "place of corn and serpents", which is...
, JalapaJalapa, TabascoJalapa is a small city in the Mexican state of Tabasco. It is located at .Jalapa also serves as the administrative centre for the surrounding municipality of the same name, which covers a total surface area of 642.91 km² and, in the year 2000 census, reported a population of 32,773.-External...
, Jalpa de Méndez, Nacajuca and Tacotalpa. Evacuations of towns at greatest risk begins. The federal Secretariat of the Interior issues a declaration of emergency for the entire state. - October 31, 2007: Tabasco GovernorGovernor of TabascoList of governors of the Mexican state of Tabasco* Víctor Manuel Barceló served as a governor temporarily when Roberto Madrazo requested license-Source:*...
Andrés Granier announces that 70% of the state is under water and 300,000 people affected. Damage is also reported to the south in ChiapasChiapasChiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, along with the first reports of missing people. - November 1, 2007: Granier states that "80% of the state is probably flooded" and gave a figure of 400,000 people affected. PresidentPresident of MexicoThe President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
Felipe CalderónFelipe CalderónFelipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
tours the affected area and, that evening, addresses the nation on television to report on the gravity of the situation. - November 2, 2007: In the early morning hours, the Grijalva breaks the dykes in Villahermosa and the city's central district is ordered evacuated. A million people's homes are under water.
- November 3, 2007: With the authorities fearing looting in Villahermosa, the army is deployed at supermarkets to ensure order.
- November 4, 2007: Some shops and lorries are looted in spite of the army presence. Residents relocated to shelters complain about inadequacies in the distribution of aid.
- November 5, 2007: Food shortages are reported at the shelters. Calderón visits the area for a third time and announces a "fiscal amnesty" plan for the state including the cancellation of tax payments and electricity bills. In the evening, a landslide washes away 50 houses in the village of Juan del GrijalvaJuan del Grijalva, ChiapasJuan del Grijalva is a small village in the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is part of the Municipality of Ostuacán and is located in the north end of the state on the banks of the Grijalva River, between the Peñitas Dam and the Malpaso Dam.On November 5, 2007 a landslide from an adjacent hill fell...
on the Tabasco-Chiapas border; 70 people are reported missing. - November 6, 2007: The water levels in both the Grijalva and the Carrizal fall significantly overnight. Pumping begins to drain the city of Villahermosa.
- November 17, 2007: Panic spreads as rumors of a river blockage at Juan del Grijalva in the Upper Grijalva river will destroy the Penitas dam and re-flood Villahermosa with greater devastation.
Causes and Prevention
TabascoTabasco
Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
is one of the richest states in Mexico in terms of petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
, however it is one of the poorest states in terms of social services and health. It has been widely claimed that the disaster could have been prevented or at least limited, but the money that was assigned to infrastructure has vanished. The National Water Commission (CONAGUA) was responsible for the construction of hydraulic repairs in the “Peñitas’ ditch”, which would have reduced the impact of the water in Tabasco. Authorities are making plans to avoid the repetition of this tragedy, elaborating on the existing flood management systems constructed after the floods of 1999. This hydraulic infrastructure will include the construction of borders, breakwaters and sea walls to fight the sea, as well as dredging the rivers to increase peak capacity.
National
Hurricane Dean
The name Dean was used for five tropical cyclones in the Northern Atlantic Ocean:*1983's Tropical Storm Dean, which struck the coast of Virginia, causing minor erosion and flooding...
victims. Entertainers such as Alejandro Fernández
Alejandro Fernández
Alejandro Fernández is a Mexican singer. Nicknamed as "El Potrillo" by the media and his fans, he has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. Alejandro is the son of the ranchera singer Vicente Fernández. He originally specialized in traditional, earthy forms of Mexican folk music, such as...
, Thalía, members of Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte is a norteño-band ensemble based out of San Jose, California, hailing from Rosa Morada, Sinaloa, Mexico.- History :...
, Jaguares
Jaguares (rock band)
Jaguares is a Mexican alternative rock band formed by former Caifanes lead singer Saúl Hernández, ex-Caifan Alfonso André , and two long-time friends Federico Fong and José Manuel Aguilera .-History:...
, Hombres G
Hombres G
Hombres G is a Spanish pop rock band, formed in Spain in 1982. They are widely considered one of Spain's most important groups of the late 1980s and 1990s...
, Lorena Ochoa
Lorena Ochoa
Lorena Ochoa Reyes is a Mexican professional golfer who played on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour from 2003 to 2010, and was the top-ranked female golfer in the world for over three years, from April 2007 to her retirement in May 2010...
, Místico
Místico
Luis Ignascio Urive Alvirde is a Mexican luchador enmascarado, or masked professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE, working on its SmackDown brand under the name Sin Cara...
and Miguel Bosé
Miguel Bosé
Miguel Dominguín Bosé is a Latin Grammy-winning Spanish/Italian musician and actor.-Early life:Bosé was born in San Fernando Hospital in Panama City, Panama, the son of the famous Italian actress Lucia Bosé and the legendary bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguín. He is also a cousin of Carmen...
have also shown their support. Many Mexican football clubs, along with their football players, also collected significant donations.
| Club | Amount | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Pumas UNAM | 15 tons of provisions. 2 trailers came out of CU (Ciudad Universitaria) one with 32 tons, and the other with 29 tons of provisions. | |
| Cruz Azul | Football players gathered provisions at La Noria | Pictures |
| Monterrey | Gathered 3 tons of provisions (around 90 tons where gathered from the people in Monterrey). Lent their stadium to use for shelter. | |
| Chivas de Guadalajara | Together with Atlas, and Tecos, gathered 75 tons of provisions through a campaign titled Firmanos tu Ayuda (We sign your help). Donated 4 houses and scheduled a game on November 17 between Chivas and Chivas USA with all the money from the entrance to be donated as well as the money from the entrance against Jaguares de Chiapas Jaguares de Chiapas The Club de Fútbol Jaguares de Chiapas, is a Mexican football club now based in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, in the state of Chiapas. They currently play in Primera División de México... . |
Pictures |
| Atlas | Together with Chivas, and Tecos, gathered 75 tons of provisions through the campaign Firmanos tu Ayuda. | Pictures |
| Tecos | Together with Atlas, and Chivas, gathered 75 tons of provisions through the campaign Firmanos tu Ayuda. They also sent doctors to Tabasco, and lent their stadium for the campaign. | Pictures |
| Veracruz CD Veracruz Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz, known as Veracruz, is a Mexican professional football club. Veracruz plays in the Liga de Ascenso de México. Their nickname "Tiburones Rojos" means red sharks. The club was founded in 1943 after two clubs from the city state of Veracruz, Iberia de Córdoba and Veracruz... |
Gathered provisions at their stadium | |
| Tigres | Will lend their stadium | |
| Pachuca | Gathered provisions at their stadiums. Will donate 10% of the money gathered in their next game against Pumas. | Pictures |
| San Luis | Gathered provisions at their stadium and will donate money gathered at their next game. | |
| Jaguares de Chiapas Jaguares de Chiapas The Club de Fútbol Jaguares de Chiapas, is a Mexican football club now based in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, in the state of Chiapas. They currently play in Primera División de México... |
Gathered provisions and lent their stadium | |
| Puebla | Lent their stadium and donated all the money obtained from their game against Chivas de Guadalajara | |
| Monarcas Morelia | Gathered provisions and donated 30% of the money obtained at their game against Cruz Azul | |
| Santos Santos Laguna Club Santos Laguna is a Mexican football club. They represent the urban area of Comarca Lagunera, which is made up of Torreón, Gomez Palacio, and Lerdo. Santos Laguna currently plays in the Primera División. The club was founded in 1982, and reached Mexico's top division after buying the franchise... |
Donated half of the money obtained from the game against Tigres | |
| América Club América Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas .... |
Helped through "Fundacion Televisa" |
Special Mention:
- Two players from the Mexican national teamMexico national football teamThe Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
, Guillermo OchoaGuillermo OchoaFrancisco Guillermo Ochoa Magaña is a Mexican goalkeeper who currently plays for French Ligue 1 club Ajaccio. He also plays for the Mexican national football team.-América:...
from Club AméricaClub AméricaClub América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
and Gerardo TorradoGerardo TorradoGerardo Torrado Diez de Bonilla is an international Mexican football player, currently playing as a midfielder for Cruz Azul and is captain of the team. He is known as "El Borrego" for his bushy-like hair...
from Cruz Azul on November 11, 2007 gathered provisions in exchange for autographs at the Martí Pedregal mall. - Spanish club Real MadridReal MadridReal Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
will give a certain percentage of the money gathered at their game against MallorcaRCD MallorcaReal Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....
and will provide a number in which people in Spain can make their donations. The total amount donated was off 100,000 USD - TelevisaTelevisaTelevisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
donated $5,000 USD for every goal scored in the Jornada 16 of the Mexican Apertura 2007Primera División de México Apertura 2007Primera División de México Apertura 2007 is a Mexican football tournament - one of two shorter tournaments that together make up the Mexican football season - to determine the champion of Mexican football. It began on Friday, August 3, 2007. On June 10, 2007, FMF General Secretary Decio de Maria...
tournament. 26 goals were scored thus, the donation was of $130,000 USD. - Omar BravoOmar BravoOmar Bravo Tordecillas is a Mexican footballer who currently plays for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer.-Club Deportivo Guadalajara:...
from the Mexican national team and from Chivas de Guadalajara gathered provisions through a campaign titled Corazón Compartido (Shared Heart), were he personally handed out a special jersey to the first 500 fans who attended the event with 5 kilograms of provisions or more. Pictures of the event
International
International aid donated or pledged as of 13 November 2007 3:32 PM CDT| Nation | Amount | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Cuba Cuba The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city... |
50 doctors on secondment | |
| Flemish Community Flemish Community The term Flemish Community has two distinct, though related, meanings:... (Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... ) |
EUR 110,000 | |
| Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... |
EUR 1,000,000 | |
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
EUR 250,000 | |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
10 inflatable dinghies | |
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
CAD 500,000 | |
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
YEN 14,000,000 (126,000 USD) | |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
USD 300,000 |
| Organization/Entity | Amount | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000... |
600,000 USD | |
| California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
boats, dry suits, blankets, generators |
Economic consequences
One week after the severe flooding, the capital of the state was in bankruptcy in part because flooding has affected various settlements. According to the local Chamber of Commerce, almost 15,000 establishments in downtown Villahermosa suffered losses of 100% in their infrastructure and inventories. This situation might cause a severe recession in the local economy, because many of these business beside having lost all their invested capital, have obligations with their suppliers, payments delayed with the government and workers' wages.Looting
The worst incident took place Saturday morning when around 1,000 people overran a downtown shopping center in Tabasco, overwhelming law enforcement officials posted in the area, and making off with everything in sight, including televisions and home appliances.
Since the beginning of the disaster, many civilians denounced the existence of many vandalism groups. These groups started entering abandoned houses and also stole everything, Many special security operations have taken place along the damaged areas of Tabasco. One of the most important actions taken was proposed by Felipe Calderón that consisted to bring military troops together with federal police to the state of Tabasco. This operation was taken in order to prevent looting and vandalism.
"People are going hungry, we're aware of that," Governor Andrés Granier said on television after the looting incident, "but being hungry doesn't justify such behaviour and outright attacks."
Floods in Tabasco observed from Space
The floods that had affected Tabasco were observable from the space, as seen in images from NASA.A system of low pressure was the phenomenon that unleashed strong and constant rains in southern Mexico from October 28 and for several days.
The Spectrum-radiometer of Image of Moderate Resolution of the satellite Aqua of NASA took the image of the floods on November 3, 2007.
External links
- Homepage of the Government of the State of Tabasco
- Homepage of the Government of the State of Chiapas
- Tabasco Hoy newspaper (local)
- Diario de la Tarde newspaper (local)
- Photo gallery en El Universal - a major national daily
- Photo gallery in El Mundo - a major Spanish newspaper
- Flickr images of the flooding
- Awareness page