The state of Sonora under emergency following the impact of tropical storm Polo
The state of Sonora, located in northwestern Mexico, is facing a critical situation following the passage of the meteorological phenomenon Polo. Although it initially made landfall with the strength of a category 1 hurricane, the system weakened to a tropical storm as it moved across the territory, leaving a trail of flooding, significant material damage, and power outages in various municipalities.
The authorities have focused their rescue efforts on the towns of Guaymas and Empalme, where intense rains, which exceeded 200 millimeters in some rural areas, caused streams to overflow and the flooding of entire communities.
Activation of the Marina Plan and mass evacuations
Given the magnitude of the emergency, the Mexican Navy Secretariat has deployed the Marina Plan in its Relief Phase. This protocol has allowed for the evacuation of hundreds of families who were at risk due to the rising waters. According to official reports, the number of victims could increase in the coming hours as currents from the mountain region continue to descend toward the municipalities in the center and south of the state.
- In the Mi Patria es Primero ejido, Empalme, 45 families were evacuated.
- In the community of La Atravesada, another 50 families had to leave their homes.
- In Guaymas, the storm surge overtopped the seawall, affecting the city center and Aquiles Serdán Avenue.
Damage to infrastructure and basic services
The storm not only affected families, but also caused havoc on public infrastructure. In the Las Villas area, the fall of Federal Electricity Commission poles caused damage to private vehicles and left multiple sectors without electricity. Likewise, broken windows were reported in commercial establishments and a transformer fell onto a house in the Juárez neighborhood, in Empalme.
Emergency personnel are maintaining constant operations in the affected areas to identify risk zones, relocate inhabitants to safe places, and assess the full extent of the material losses caused by Polo.
It should be noted that Polo initially made landfall near Comondú, Baja California Sur, as a category 2 hurricane, before moving towards the coasts of Sonora. Authorities continue to monitor the evolution of weather conditions while recovery efforts are just beginning in the areas hardest hit by the rainfall.
