Ten days after two Eastern Pacific hurricanes struck Mexico at the same time, families in Baja California are still recovering from deadly flash floods. The remnants of Hurricane Rachel, which had peaked as a Category 3 storm in early October, brought torrential rain to Ensenada on October 10–11, while Hurricane Simon, a Category 4 storm at its peak, moved parallel to the coast of Jalisco about 125 miles west of Cabo Corrientes and brought rain as far as Guerrero.
The toll
As of October 13, the Hurricanes Rachel and Simon disaster had claimed six lives: at least five in Ensenada, including a 13-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy, and one in Chilpancingo, Guerrero, where a 71-year-old was killed when a wall collapsed during Simon's rains. Five people were missing in Baja California, three in Ensenada and a father and son who went fishing from San Felipe. Rachel caused more than $100 million in damage.
Rescues and evacuations
Mexican soldiers used helicopters to rescue 32 people, including 13 minors, from a camp for orphans near Ensenada, and about 100 people were evacuated in Tijuana. Rachel's moisture also reached the U.S. Southwest: in Long Beach, California, eight structures were marked unsafe to occupy because of high surf and coastal erosion, and Las Vegas tied its wettest October day on record. No U.S. deaths were reported.
Relief on the ground
World Central Kitchen launched relief responses for both Rachel in Baja California and Hurricane Simon. You can find more groups at Disaster Relief Organizations.
To help families affected by the floods, visit the Hurricanes Rachel and Simon disaster page and donate to the organizations responding.
