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Continued heavy rains forecast for Yucatan Peninsula

Costa Maya, Q.R. — The weekend passing of Tropical Depression Celia in the Pacific soaked a large portion of the southern region of Quintana Roo. The Yucatan Peninsula is forecast to see continued heavy rainfall, but now, due to a tropical system.

On Saturday, the state’s capital city of Chetumal was left waterlogged after the two systems interacted. Several sections of Bahia Boulevard were severely flooded by the heavy rainfall.

Outside the city, sugarcane and corn crops also suffered. The ongoing rains saw numerous homes with flooded yards. Further south, mud and falling rocks were reported on the Ucum-La Union highway.

The downpour began late Saturday morning when bands from Celia interacted with a low pressure system over the state. Communities such as Carlos A. Madrazo, Sac-Xan, Ramonal, el Palmar, Allende, Sabidos, Álvaro Obregón, Cacao, Pucté, Cocoyol, Revolución and La Unión also reported damage to streets and homes.

According to municipal authorities in Ribera del Río Hondo, there were no evacuations despite an abundance of rain that turned outside streets into moving streams.

In the community of Sac-Xán, the downhill runoff washed away large sections of land, while the unpaved roads in the Ucúm-Nicólas Bravo were left unpassable.

Municipal Civil Protection and Public Services worked to keep city drains clear. Benjamín Gutiérrez Reyes, president of the Local Association of Sugarcane Producers, said harvesting the 2,000 tons of cane in the fields has been suspended due to area flooding.

He explained that not only are the fields waterlogged, the town of Javier Rojo Gómez where the sugar mill is located, is also under water. Rains for most of the state are forecast to continue for another day or two.

According to the Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN), Quintana Roo remains under threat of heavy rainfall. On Monday, heavy rains including torrential downpours, are expected for the east, south and southeast of the country including the Yucatan Peninsula.

The agency says the rains are the result of the interaction of Celia with a low pressure channel and tropical wave number six.