Deadly flooding and landslides in the mountains of central Mexico have cut off 300 towns from the outside world and wiped at least one village, the 400-person town of Chapula, almost entirely off the map. 

What's happening?

The Associated Press reported that at least 64 lives were lost in the aftermath of the torrential rains, with dozens still unaccounted for, according to the Mexican government. These rains were the product of two tropical storms merging off the western coast, following a season of heavy rain that had rivers overflowing and land unstable. 

Stephanie Ramírez, a 21-year-old who was rescued by helicopter Tuesday, told the AP: "There's nothing left. It wiped out houses, it wiped out the bridge, it wiped out everything. The only thing left standing was the church and the warehouse where we were seeking refuge."

Workers and soldiers by the thousands showed up Tuesday to try to unblock roads and rescue civilians, but many residents are organizing on their own, using borrowed helicopters and collecting bags of goods to carry on foot to neighboring villages.

Why is this flooding event important?

The primary importance exists in the tragic loss of life and ongoing search for over 60 missing residents in towns across central and eastern Mexico, but this event also highlights a larger phenomenon: the impacts of rising global temperatures. 

Extreme weather events like tropical storms, flooding, and landslides are not new, but scientists agree that the increasing global temperatures caused by humans supercharge these weather events, making them both more frequent, more powerful, and more dangerous to our communities. 

Increases in flooding events pose clear dangers to human life, businesses, homes, and other infrastructure. These events can also have financial implications, from the costs of their destruction to the increasing insurance premiums in areas likely to flood. 

Other extreme weather events that are likely to increase because of global temperature change can amplify food insecurity, disease, overfull reservoirs, and drought as well as cause massive financial losses and disruptions to wildlife migration. 

What can we do about flooding and extreme weather?

Limiting the devastating impacts of flooding and other extreme weather events requires action at all levels, from innovation in landscaping and early warning systems dashboards to governments taking action to invest in clean energy. 

Learn more about what you can do to help combat these issues, including having conversations about climate, voting for candidates with good climate policy, and taking action in your community. 

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