Photo: Unsplash

By KELIN DILLON

Intense rainfall in the State of Mexico (Edoméx) on the night of Monday, July 5, caused massive flooding throughout the region, leaving cars submerged in water and streets akin to rivers.

The municipality Atizapán de Zaragoza experienced such heavy hail and rains that authorities warned people and pets could get swept away in the currents racing through the streets. Following the storm, hundreds of houses reported flooding and dozens of trees were said to have fallen across the area.

The Salvador González Herrejón Hospital in the same municipality experienced severe water levels in its first floor, forcing the evacuation of patients to other floors of the building and even in ambulances to other hospitals. Photos and videos surfaced of medical personnel trudging babies and intensive care patients through the murky waters, with levels rising nearly to their knees.

Likewise, a man trapped in his car when the rain turned to ice died of hypothermia on the Periférico Norte bridge, where three more trapped drivers were later rescued by authorities.