Heavy rains flood Mexican towns, leaving nearly 130 dead or missing
MEXICO CITY — October 15, 2025.
A tropical depression unleashed torrential rains across parts of Mexico’s Gulf Coast and central highlands, triggering deadly landslides and flash floods that have devastated communities and left nearly 130 people dead or missing.
The unnamed weather system struck toward the end of the rainy season, saturating land already soaked by months of precipitation. Rivers burst their banks and hillsides collapsed under the weight of the water, even as meteorologists’ attention was focused on other tropical storms and two hurricanes moving along the Pacific coast.
According to Mexico’s national civil protection agency, at least 64 people have been confirmed dead and 65 others remain missing as of Monday. “This intense rain was not expected to reach such magnitude,” President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters.
Around 100,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed, Sheinbaum said, adding that she would meet with the Ministry of Finance to coordinate reconstruction funds and visit several of the hardest-hit states later this week.
Hidalgo and Veracruz suffered the most severe impact, with 29 deaths and 18 missing reported in Veracruz and 21 deaths and 43 missing in Hidalgo, said Laura Velázquez, the national coordinator of Civil Protection. Landslides in mountain regions buried homes, blocked roads, and isolated dozens of towns.
Infrastructure across at least five states has been heavily damaged. Bridges collapsed, roads washed away, and entire neighborhoods were left under thick layers of mud. Dramatic footage shared online showed emergency responders wading through chest-deep water to rescue stranded residents and deliver food and medical supplies.
Electricity, which had been knocked out in large areas across Veracruz, Puebla, and Hidalgo, has now been largely restored, officials said. Efforts are also underway to contain outbreaks of mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue, which often spread after flooding due to stagnant water.
The federal government has deployed thousands of soldiers and emergency workers to the affected regions as the search for survivors continues. Authorities have warned that more rain is expected in the coming days, potentially complicating rescue and recovery operations.
