Jova Leaves Floodwater In Its Wake
From
Rafael Romo and
Esprit Smith, CNN
updated 10:17 PM EST, Wed October 12, 2011
Hurricane Jova is moving slowly toward western Mexico. Forecasters say it could become a major hurricane by Monday.
Manzanillo, Mexico (CNN) -- Floodwater left behind when Jova thrashed Mexico's Pacific coast began to recede Wednesday, but cleanup had just begun.
Some residents remained on rooftops in Manzanillo, one of the hardest hit areas. At least 1,400 people were in shelters, police said.
City officials said no deaths or injuries had been reported. A 21-year-old woman and a young girl were killed in a mudslide caused by the storm in the neighboring state of Jalisco, the state-run Notimex news agency said.
In Manzanillo, a small stream turned into a raging river and on several main roads, water was at least a meter deep. Military blockades stopped cars from driving down impassable roads.
"The roads are all flooded. Bridges are about to fall down. Cars can't get through anywhere. People's homes are destroyed," Manzanillo resident Seth Berkowitz said. "What came through here has really been a terrible disaster for everybody."
Jova struck Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane, packing winds of more than 100 miles per hour. It weakened into a tropical storm and then a tropical depression as it moved over western Mexico Wednesday, but heavy rainfall continued.
Floodwaters rushed into many homes in low-lying areas of Manzanillo.
Resident Roberto Robles lost most of his furniture and spent Wednesday dealing with massive amounts of mud inside his home.
"We were really afraid, especially for the children, who still don't understand what a hurricane is," he said.
Javier Velasquez said mud ruined his refrigerator when his kitchen filled with water in the early morning hours.
"Only God knows why something like this happens," he said. "They had warned us, but we thought they were crying wolf."