The rain started to fall in October and November 2007 on the state of Tabasco, Mexico, and by the time it stopped, the aftermath was tragic:
Tabasco, a state the size of Belgium, is at one point 80 percent underwater.
About a million citizens are affected by the flood, with 300,000 of them trapped in their homes or on rooftops.
President Felipe Calderon calls the situation grave, saying that many have "lost their homes, their belongings, their crops and the means to maintain their children....Others remain in their homes but with no access to food, water or medicine."
Insurance claims are estimated at $700 million in the weeks after the flood, but the real cost cannot be as easily estimated.
"We lost our papayas and our bananas, our chillies and our guayabas, and soon our supplies will run out altogether. We have nothing but our fields, and now the crops are rotting in them." -- Tabasco citizen Matilde Martinez, age 31
Though the floodwaters have receded, the damage done still lingers. Families have lost homes, possessions, livelihoods, and in some cases, family members. Even the smallest donation can assist in helping the people of Tabasco get back on their feet. Consider giving today.
