Desperate Measures: Chalco Residents Battle Unprecedented Floods

Juana Salazar Segundo and other Chalco residents face severe, sewage-infused flooding due to poor infrastructure and unchecked growth. With homes and streets submerged, local residents struggle daily using pumps and seek help amid government inaction. Health issues rise, and community efforts continue to rebuild and seek permanent solutions.

As Juana Salazar Segundo, 56, navigated her home in Chalco, southeast of Mexico City, she vividly recounted floodwaters reaching waist-high last month.

With water now receded to her ankles, she walked into her furniture-less bedroom, where a water pump labored in the corner. The once white walls were stained black. Sewage-tainted floodwaters have inundated Chalco's Culturas neighborhood for over a month. Residents blame unchecked growth and failing infrastructure for this year's severe flooding.

More than 7,000 residents and over 2,000 homes have been affected, with water levels reaching up to 5 feet in some areas, according to Chalco officials.

Salazar employed four pumps tirelessly to clear her home. Her skin bore marks from the tainted waters. "We couldn't sleep as the water rose day and night," she said. "The drain systems have collapsed for years, I couldn't work, my daughter couldn't take her son to school … we're just surviving," Salazar added.

Environmental toxicologist Omar Arellano-Aguilar attributes the heightened vulnerability to drainage failures and the area's geological structure. Despite Chalco growing to over 400,000 inhabitants since the 1980s, basic infrastructure remains lacking.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has downplayed the crisis. "It's being taken care of," he said last month. State Governor Delfina Gómez and Chalco officials did not respond to interview requests. Local authorities are working with massive pumps, vaccinating residents, and providing potable water.

Outside Salazar's home, the stench of sewage water permeated the neighborhood. Oscar Martínez Hinojosa, adjusting his water pump, complained of not receiving protective gear or aid. "They didn't give us anything, no food or overalls," he said.

Residents like Guadalupe Sarai Islas García reported health issues due to the flooding. "None of the politicians know what it's like to live like this," she said. Families took precautions, sending children to stay elsewhere. State and local trucks have helped reduce water levels and debris.

Authorities reported no remaining flooded streets last weekend, having removed 245 tons of silt and extracted over 264 million gallons of water. Cleaning and disinfecting began in the affected area.

Primary school principal Maria Luisa Molina Avila expressed optimism about recent renovations after flood damage delayed the school year by two weeks. Resident García noted, "It's a relief for the kids to return to school, now that our stress has peaked."

Back across town, Salazar attended a neighborhood meeting with her dog, "Oso," awaiting updates on drainage pipe construction.

(With inputs from agencies.)