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Emergency declared in flooded Mexican cities

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • More than 30,000 residents of two Tabasco state cities have been displaced
  • Emergency decree allows federal aid to the area, Interior Ministry said
  • "We have hardly begun to list the damages," official in Veracruz state is quoted as saying
  • Forecasters say heavy rains are expected to continue for the next few days
RELATED TOPICS
  • Natural Disasters
  • Mexico
  • Weather

Mexico City, Mexico (CNN) -- Mexican federal officials have declared a state of emergency in two cities in Tabasco state, which along with Veracruz state has suffered heavy flooding that has displaced more than 30,000 residents.

The cities of Huimanguillo and Cardenas were flooded by heavy rains that started over the weekend, leading to the evacuation of about 32,500 people and the emergency declaration by Interior Secretary Fernando Gomez Mont. The emergency decree, which state officials requested, allows federal aid to the area, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

In neighboring Veracruz state, the Uxpanapa and Agua Dulce rivers overflowed their banks and flooded about 750 homes in the towns of Agua Dulce and Las Choapas, state officials said. At least 850 families were left homeless.

Veracruz Gov. Fidel Herrera Beltran said Tuesday he has asked the interior secretary for an emergency declaration for those two towns, El Dictamen newspaper said on its web site.

Veracruz Civil Protection Secretary Silvia Dominguez Lopez said officials still don't know the extent of the damage.

"We have severe damages to homes, total electric power loss to 500 homes, with more than 850 families affected, and it could be more because we have hardly begun to list the damages and there are communities that we have not been able to reach," the Notiver newspaper quoted her as saying. "We have damage to agriculture and livestock and we are evaluating the damage. Some communities are cut off from communication. That's why we have asked the interior minister for an emergency declaration.

Video of the flooding in Tabasco shows some residents wading down a street in thigh-high water while others use poles to push a boat carrying seven people.

The situation could worsen, as forecasters say heavy rains are expected to continue for the next few days.