Mexico counting dead from ‘zombie storm’ John

At least 15 people have died in Mexico as a result of Hurricane John, the country’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has confirmed.

The storm first made landfall a week ago as a category three hurricane on Mexico’s Pacific coast, south-east of the resort of Acapulco.

It then weakened and dissipated over the mountains of Guerrero state before regaining strength over the waters of the Pacific and hitting the Mexican coast a second time, prompting meteorologists to describe it as a “zombie storm”.

Its heavy rains triggered landslides and flooding, cutting off many residents and killing more than a dozen.

The term “zombie storm” was first used by meteorologists from the US National Weather Service in 2020 to describe a storm which dissipates only to regenerate again.

On Sunday, President López Obrador said the number of dead in Guerrero had reached at least 15, but local media have put the total death toll across the three worst-hit states at more than 20, with some saying it is as high as 29.

Meteorologists said that while Hurricane John blew over trees and damaged buildings, the days of torrential rains it caused proved more deadly.

Some places had almost a year’s worth of rainfall over a matter of days.

In Oaxaca state, there were at least 80 landslides, some of which buried homes and their occupants. In some areas, entire communities were cut off as roads became impassable.

The resort of Acapulco, which is still struggling to recover from the impact of Hurricane Otis last year, was severely flooded.

City officials asked anyone who owned a boat to help rescue people trapped in flooded neighbourhoods.

Residents posted videos on social media of themselves wading through waters which reached their shoulders.

Some families climbed onto the roofs of their homes as the waters rose.

Officials said more than 5,000 people had to be evacuated and 3,800 had been sleeping in shelters.

Claudia Sheinbaum, who is due to be sworn in as Mexico’s new president on Tuesday, said she would visit Guerrero state with her ministers on Wednesday to ensure that those affected received “all the necessary assistance”.