Eastern Mexico City Grapples with Severe Flooding from Heavy Rains
Mexico City, August 30 – The eastern zone of Mexico City has been severely impacted by the current rainy season, experiencing at least four major flooding incidents. The Ignacio Zaragoza Causeway, particularly near the Concordia Bridge and Santa Martha Acatitla, as well as areas bordering the State of Mexico, have been among the hardest hit.
These recurrent floods have left thousands of motorists stranded and forced commuters to risk their safety by disembarking from public transport and the Metro to walk to their destinations. The Collective Transportation System (STC) Metro has, on multiple occasions, partially suspended services and closed sections of Line A, which runs from Pantitlán to La Paz, due to water accumulation on the tracks during storms.
Repeated Disruptions to Transport and Daily Life
In June, the initial storms of the season led to at least two temporary closures in the eastern zone. On June 22, intense rainfall caused significant pooling on the Zaragoza Causeway, resulting in the Metro offering provisional service from Pantitlán to Guelatao, while stations like Peñón Viejo, Acatitla, Santa Marta, Los Reyes, and La Paz ceased operations.
By August 5, heavy precipitation once again overwhelmed the drainage system near Santa Martha Acatitla and the Concordia Bridge, prompting the Metro to implement provisional circuits on Line A.
The most recent incident occurred on Friday, August 28, when the Zaragoza Causeway was inundated, stranding vehicles and compelling users to navigate makeshift paths over dividing walls. The STC again curtailed service provisionally from Pantitlán to Guelatao. On that day, the intense rains contributed to an accumulation of 14.2 million cubic meters of water across the Mexico City Metropolitan Area.
Infrastructure Overwhelmed Despite Recent Works
Last June, capital authorities inaugurated the Teotongo collector, designed to mitigate flooding between Iztapalapa and the municipality of La Paz in the State of Mexico. In the same month, the capital administration also completed desilting work on the El Salado regulating basin. Despite these efforts, widespread disruptions persist for thousands of motorists and users of public transport and the Metro.
The ongoing challenges underscore the significant impact of heavy rainfall on the city’s infrastructure and the daily lives of its residents. Authorities continue to monitor the situation and implement measures to address the persistent flooding issues in the eastern part of Mexico City.
