Update 5:01 pm 11/02/2007
The rain has stopped for a while and the rivers (Grijalva and Carrizal) are stabilized, but not receding. Winds are preventing the water from flowing to the ocean outlets freely.
I was just on the phone with my sister-in-law, her voice was calm but a bit concerned. My family has about 27 people staying at home, a four-room two-story house. There's extended family, friends, and friends of friends of friends.
They also have a small water well in the backyard and this allows them and the neighbors access to fresh water, lets hope it lasts because, although the rain stopped a bit today, more rain is foretasted for tomorrow.
My uncles next door are each hosting about a dozen people. Their homes and my mother's are built on Colonia Reforma, a quarter that is higher in elevation and therefore not flooded; still, the flooding got as close as 25 meters yesterday, that was a close call.
Since it stopped raining, three stores opened today. People are lined up outside as they only let three or four customers in at a time so they don't start a stampede. Still, people are making panic buys and hoarding as much as they can to take home. My family is concerned with any rioting or plundering if things get too bad or if aid doesn't arrive once what's stored is depleted.
The largest need I've noticed is a way for the international community to send donations online, the links below give you the Red Cross' bank accounts that you can wire funds to, but it would be very convenient if they would set up a web page where we could send donations electronically or with credit cards as they did with the Tsunami in Southeast Asia. The best we could do until now is set up our own paypal account (below), but that's hardly enough.
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Update 7:01 am 11/3/07
http://crs.org/mexico/tabasco-floods/
From John and Kate Rivera via email: Greetings!
I saw your blog posting on the flooding in Tabasco, and though I'd send you this. Catholic Relief Services is active right now in Tabasco and we've committed an initial $1 million for emergency relief. As you can see, we're working with our Mexican counterparts, who are delivering the aid. Caritas Mexicana is an extremely experienced and capable agency, and a close collaborator.
We'd appreciate any help getting the word out. Our website is http://www.crs.org/.
John Rivera
CRS
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