For the third time in less than a week, torrential rains have hammered the Yucatán Peninsula, forcing the government to order a total shutdown of all non-essential activities.
This includes access to the state’s archaeological sites, such as Chichén Itzá, which reopened on Monday after a two-week closure.
The decision, announced by Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena, follows a week of relentless rainfall that has shattered records. According to the National Water Commission (Conagua), the state has recorded over 300 millimeters of rain in just two days.
On Friday alone, Mérida experienced its rainiest May day in half a century, with 153 millimeters (six inches) falling in a single afternoon. That record was quickly challenged on Monday when the city again saw accumulations exceeding 130 millimeters, and the nearby municipality of Conkal registered a staggering 158 millimeters (5.1 and 6.2 inches, respectively).
Roberto López González, director of Conagua’s Yucatán Peninsula Basin Organization, told emergency officials that the back-to-back downpours have saturated the region’s porous limestone soil, leading to widespread urban flooding.
The Coordinación Estatal de Protección Civil (Procivy) warns that the unstable weather, driven by a cocktail of a trough, moisture from the Caribbean Sea, and the approach of a tropical wave, could continue through at least Sunday.
Flooding, Chaos, and Rescues
In the Las Brisas neighborhood, in Mérida’s north, water overtopped sidewalks and inundated entire blocks. Similar scenes unfolded in coastal communities, where the deluge was so severe that fishermen in Chelem, Yucalpetén, and the port of Progreso resorted to using their boats to navigate flooded roadways.
Dozens of motorists have been caught off guard. Videos circulating online show vehicles completely submerged in the city’s lowest-lying areas. Rescue services have been working overtime to free trapped drivers.
“Many people underestimate the power of moving water,” said a spokesperson for the state’s emergency response team. “Just a few inches of current can sweep a car away.”
In Caucel, a 25-year-old man suffered a severe electric shock while walking on Avenida Jacinto Canek.
The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m., according to initial reports. The victim was walking near a fried-chicken restaurant with a “drive-thru” sign, a light pole in a parking lot, and an electrical utility box. Investigators have not yet determined which of these elements caused the discharge. The man remains in critical condition.
The situation is particularly dire in the municipalities of Ticul, Akil, Oxkutzcab, Tekax, and Tzucacab, all of which have been placed under a red alert for catastrophic flooding.
Authorities Urges Businesses to Let Workers Stay Home
The state government has defended the drastic measure, emphasizing security. The suspension of classes, initially announced for Tuesday, has been expanded to include all economic activities. Only essential services, such as hospitals and emergency response, remain operational.
Meteorologists Warn of More to Come
The timing of the disaster is particularly ominous as it coincides with the official start of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. The Servicio Meteorológico Nacional has forecast intense to torrential rainfall for the region, with accumulations expected to range from 75 to 150 millimeters in some areas as a low-pressure trough interacts with abundant maritime moisture.
With information from: La Jornada Maya