The controlled release of a dam in Oaxaca caused significant damage to 200 homes in the town.
Nearly 200 homes were affected in the Cuauhtémoc community, a municipal agency of San Mateo del Mar, Oaxaca. These damages were caused by the overflowing of the Tehuantepec River, resulting from the release of the Benito Juárez Dam in Jalapa del Marqués.
According to residents, the riverbed began to rise, but it was during the early morning of October 1st that the water level suddenly rose, flooding streets and homes.
“When the water from the dam arrives, everything here floods, and that affects us. Also, when it rains a lot, because this is a low-lying area, we are always underwater,” said Don José, one of those affected.
The material losses are mainly concentrated in appliances and furniture, which, despite being placed on blocks or tables, are not always salvageable. Elderly adults and people with limited mobility are the ones who face the greatest difficulties in protecting their belongings.
Desperate in this situation, residents took shovels and picks and moved to the area known as Boca Barra, where, with the help of Navy personnel, they manually dug a channel to drain the water.
For months, authorities from all three levels of government have been holding meetings with residents to discuss the relocation of at least 800 families to higher ground, in order to reduce risks during the rainy season and the release of dam water. However, as yet, there is no set date for the completion of this project.
Meanwhile, personnel from the Navy arrived in the community to carry out the Navy Plan to assist the affected population, and they remained on standby to begin cleaning up the homes affected by the flood.
Source: heraldodemexico
