Mexican emergency-response is winning praise for saving an untold number of lives after unprecedented rains submerged more than 70% of the Gulf state of Tabasco, driving nearly one million people from their homes there and in neighboring Chiapas state. But experts believe destructive land-use patterns and poor follow-through on flood-control projects contributed significantly to the material damage, the most extensive in the region’s history. During the last four days of October a staggering 35 inches (900 millimeters) of rain fell on parts of Tabasco and Chiapas. The downpour came after rains a week earlier had left the ground saturated and the region’s rivers and lagoons brimming. The Grijalva River roared over its banks to flood most of low-lying Tabasco’s capital... [Log in to read more]