LINDSEY GRINSTEAD | staff writer
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courtesy | ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Flood victims wait in line for food in Villahermosa, the state capital of Tabasco, Mexico.
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WITH AP SOURCES
The Mexican state of Tabasco, located south of the Gulf of Mexico suffered severe flooding brought on by days of incessant rain. Death tolls have risen to at least 19.
“We lost everything,” Manuel Gonzalez said. “I left [my house] without one peso in my pocket and I can’t find my brothers and sisters.”
President Felipe Calderón called the crisis in Tabasco “one of the worst disasters in the history of the country.”
Much of Villahermosa was left underwater and thousands of residents were stranded. The state capitol is located in the bowl-like region of the state—below sea level—and due to its geographical placement, experienced massive damage.
Families who ignored evacuation warnings huddled on rooftops with no food or drinking water. Those who did escape were taken to shelters that later proved vulnerable to the floods as well.
At least one million residents have been affected by the flooding. The number of people left homeless is unknown because damage is so widespread, and exact death tolls are undefined because many are still stranded on rooftops.
Rescue operations launched after the flooding began. Workers tried to bring relief to people whose homes had been overwhelmed by water.
Beyond federal government help, neighboring states have been sending additional rescue workers. Much-needed supplies have been sent to Tabasco to aid devastated families. The U.S., European Union, and Canada have offered aid, and the Foreign Relations Ministry said it is analyzing those offers to see how best to channel it. 
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