Mexico floods leave at least 41 dead, dozens missing

Severe storms and floods have wreaked havoc across Mexico, leaving at least 41 people dead and 27 more missing, authorities say.

Approximately 10,000 soldiers were deployed to clear roads, rescue stranded residents and distribute food to affected communities, using boats, helicopters and excavators. Many villages are still closed to transportation and aid workers are still having difficulty reaching them.

Meteorologists warned that more rain is expected in the coming days. Since the soil is already saturated, the risk of new landslides increases.

The regions of Mexico most affected by the epidemic are in the eastern and central states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro and San Luis Potosí. Tens of thousands of homes, clinics, schools, roads and bridges were damaged.

While most of the deaths so far have been reported in Veracruz and Hidalgo, deaths have also been confirmed in Puebla and Querétaro. San Luis Potosí suffered extensive damage but no casualties.

More than 320,000 homes across Mexico were affected by power outages caused by heavy rains.

Mexico has reached the end of its annual rainy season, which lasts about six months and usually ends in early November.

Some of the heavy rainfall is caused by tropical cyclones Priscilla and Raymond in the Pacific, as well as weather events in the Gulf of Mexico.