Hundreds of Thousands Flee Flooding in Southern Mexico

VILLAHERMOSA, Mexico, Nov. 2 -- Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans fled a flooded region of the country's Gulf coast on Friday, jumping from rooftops into rescue helicopters, scrambling into boats or swimming out through murky brown water.

President Felipe Calder¿n called the flooding in Tabasco state one of Mexico's worst recent natural disasters and pledged to rebuild.

A week of heavy rains caused rivers to overflow, inundating at least 80 percent of the oil-rich state. Much of the state capital, Villahermosa, looked like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, with water reaching to second-story rooftops and desperate people awaiting rescue.

At least one death was reported, and nearly all services, including drinking water and public transportation, were shut down. The flooding affected more than 900,000 of the state's 2 million people -- their homes swamped, damaged or cut off by high water.

Workers tried to protect Villahermosa's famous Olmec statues by placing sandbag collars around their enormous stone heads, and sandbag walls were built to hold back the Grijalva River in the state capital.

But the water rose quickly, surprising residents used to annual floods and forcing soldiers to evacuate the historic city center. The dikes failed Thursday night, and water flooded the capital's bus station and open-air market.

Rain gave way to sunshine Friday, but tens of thousands of people were still stranded on rooftops or in the upper floors of their homes. Rescue workers used tractors, helicopters, Jet Skis and boats to ferry people to safety, while others swam through water infested by poisonous snakes to reach higher ground.

Also Friday, Calder¿n met with state officials and flew over the affected areas. The extent of the flooding was clear from the sky -- Tabasco state resembled an inland sea, with only rooftops and treetops protruding from the water.

"This is not just the worst natural catastrophe in the state's history but, I would venture to say, one of the worst in the recent history of the country," Calder¿n said during an emergency meeting with state officials in Villahermosa.

The president ordered the armed forces and federal police to maintain order and prevent looting, and asked residents to remain calm. He also canceled a trip to Panama, Colombia and Peru.

Mexicans rallied to help victims, with people across the country contributing money and supplies. Television stations dedicated entire newscasts to the flooding, and morning shows switched from yoga and home improvement to calls for aid. Friday was the Day of the Dead holiday, but banks opened to accept donations for flood victims.

Food and clean drinking water were extremely scarce in Tabasco state, and federal Deputy Health Secretary Mauricio Hern¿ndez warned that there could be outbreaks of cholera and other waterborne diseases.

"With so many people packed together, there is a chance that infectious diseases could spread," he said.

Officials tested 600 people for cholera, but none was positive, he said. The waterborne sickness, which can be fatal, has not been reported in Mexico for at least six years. The government also sent 20,000 doses of Hepatitis A vaccine and were giving booster shots to children to prevent outbreaks, Hern¿ndez said.