From 2000 to 2020, just over 300 disasters were recorded in Mexico, which amount to damages of 65 billion dollars if we add the effects of Hurricane Otis, recorded in October 2023, estimated the president of the National Center for Support for Epidemiological Contingencies and Disasters (Cenaded), Roberto Delgado.
“Otis was enormous material damage… it was impressive because of all the damage to the infrastructure… damage to homes, hotels, housing… we rarely have a dimension of what a disaster causes and the only one compared to Hurricane Otis is Catrina, the terrible hurricane in the United States,” he said.
“Mexico is a country that has been hit hard by disasters throughout its history. According to recent data, between 2000 and 2020, more than 300 disasters were recorded in our country, affecting more than 40 million people and causing economic damages exceeding 50 billion dollars,” if the damage from Otis is discounted, Delgado explained.
Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, storms, volcanoes, among other natural disasters, can affect Mexico and, due to climate change, they cause more and more damage, he considered.
In this regard, the president of the Business Coordinating Council (CCE), Francisco Cervantes, said that climate change causes increasingly intense and frequent disasters, as observed in October 2023 when Hurricane Otis hit Acapulco, Guerrero, “causing social and economic devastation.”
He said that “although the ravages continue to come to light, it is estimated that this meteorological phenomenon left economic losses of approximately 15 billion dollars, seriously affecting the infrastructure and well-being of the population.”
This required a rapid and decisive response from the private sector in coordination with Cenace.
Source: eluniversal
