More airlifts needed as more towns cut off
14 communities remain isolated after second of two tropical storms in Oaxaca
The Oaxaca airlifts are set to resume in order to deliver supplies to at least 16,000 families in 14 communities isolated by storm damage to highways.
Most of the communities are in the isthmus, coast and southern sierra regions of the state, which took the brunt of tropical storm Calvin, the second such storm in two weeks.
Beatriz, the first, triggered first a declaration emergency and then a declaration of disaster. The state is seeking another emergency declaration in the wake of Calvin, which touched land Monday and brought another round of heavy rain.
Civil Protection officials say that at least 300,000 people can be considered victims of various kinds of storm damage.
But the state’s highways appear to have been hit the hardest. More than 70% of them have sustained damage, said highways agency chief David Mayren.
Three municipalities — Santo Domingo Ozolotopec, San Juan Ozolotepec and San Francisco Ozolotepec — have been cut off since June 1, the day Beatriz made landfall.
Population of all three is at least 6,000.
Eighty families are being housed in 37 temporary shelters, said Civil Protection coordinator Amando Bohórquez Reyes, but people have been returning to their homes as the floodwaters subside.
Source: Milenio (sp), NVI Noticias (sp)
