Hurricane Alex was a rare June
Atlantic hurricane
An Atlantic hurricane, also known as tropical storm or simply hurricane, is a tropical cyclone that forms in the Atlantic Ocean, primarily between the months of June and November. A hurricane differs from a cyclone or typhoon only on the basis of ...
and the first
tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Dep ...
to develop in the
2010 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2010 Atlantic hurricane season was the first of three consecutive very active Atlantic hurricane seasons, each with 19 named storms. This above average activity included 12 hurricanes, equaling the number that formed in 1969. Only ...
. Originating from an area of disturbed weather on June 25, 2010, it slowly developed in the western
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexic ...
and struck
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wa ...
as a strong tropical storm. After entering the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...
, Alex became very large and encountered conditions favorable for gradual development. Early on June 30, the cyclone attained hurricane status as it approached northeastern Mexico, the first June hurricane in the Atlantic basin since
Hurricane Allison in 1995, and the storm
rapidly intensified just off the coast of
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
. Alex made
landfall
Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
near
Soto la Marina Soto la Marina is a town in Soto la Marina Municipality located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It was directly hit by Hurricane Alex in 2010. It is located on the banks of the Soto la Marina river, just up river from the small ocean port of L ...
as a
Category 2 hurricane
Category, plural categories, may refer to:
Philosophy and general uses
*Categorization, categories in cognitive science, information science and generally
*Category of being
* ''Categories'' (Aristotle)
*Category (Kant)
* Categories (Peirce)
* ...
on the
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Alex rapidly weakened after landfall, with the storm losing its tropical status on July 2, before fully dissipating on July 6.
Alex caused the deaths of at least 51 people along its path, and produced over $1.5 billion (2010
USD) in damage. The precursor of the hurricane produced substantial rainfall across the
Greater Antilles
The Greater Antilles ( es, Grandes Antillas or Antillas Mayores; french: Grandes Antilles; ht, Gwo Zantiy; jam, Grieta hAntiliiz) is a grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, a ...
, causing one death in the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
. Fourteen people were killed in
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
as a result of flooding during the first landfall of Alex. In
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
, the storm's outer
rainband
A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar i ...
s killed three people in
Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has ...
, one person in
Oaxaca
Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the Federative Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 570 municipaliti ...
, and another in
Chiapas
Chiapas (; Tzotzil and Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 124 municipalities ...
. At its final landfall, Alex caused at least fifteen deaths in
Nuevo León
Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. Wit ...
, eight in
Coahuila
Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico.
Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...
, six in
Guanajuato
Guanajuato (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato), is one of the 32 states that make up the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 46 municipalities and its capital city i ...
, and one in both
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
and
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí), is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and i ...
; an additional twenty persons were reported missing.
Alex triggered widespread power outages throughout northeastern Mexico and southern
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. Damage was most evident in the
Monterrey metropolitan area
The Monterrey metropolitan area refers to the surrounding urban agglomeration of Monterrey, Nuevo León. Officially called ''Area Metropolitana de la Ciudad de Monterrey'' or AMM, the metropolitan area is the 2nd-largest in Mexico.
Overview
Th ...
, which faced what Nuevo León governor
Rodrigo Medina de la Cruz described as, "the worst weather phenomenon in its history."
Following Alex's final
landfall
Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
, a state of emergency was declared for most of Nuevo León, portions of Tamaulipas, and Texas. Widespread flooding from the storm affected 500,000 people throughout northeast Mexico, and ruined over of crops in the region, equivalent to 11% of the region's total farmland. Despite the significant damage and death toll, the name ''Alex'' was not retired following the season.
Meteorological history
The weather system from which Hurricane Alex developed was first discernible as a disturbance in the
Intertropical Convergence Zone
The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ ), known by sailors as the doldrums or the calms because of its monotonous windless weather, is the area where the northeast and the southeast trade winds converge. It encircles Earth near the thermal ...
(ITCZ) over the central Atlantic, on June 17, 2010.
Over the next few days, most of the disturbance's associated
thunderstorm activity was embedded within the ITCZ. The
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 3 ...
(NHC) first mentioned the system as a candidate for
tropical cyclone formation on June 20, while it was crossing the
Windward Islands
french: Îles du Vent
, image_name =
, image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada.
, image_alt =
, locator_map =
, location = Caribbean Sea No ...
into the southeastern
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexic ...
; at the time, some upper-level
wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizont ...
was present, leading to conditions only marginally favorable for development. The system moved through the Caribbean, and on June 21, it developed to the extent that the NHC assessed a 50% chance of development into a tropical depression within 48 hours. The next day, however, the feature deteriorated, as thunderstorm activity spread across the
Greater Antilles
The Greater Antilles ( es, Grandes Antillas or Antillas Mayores; french: Grandes Antilles; ht, Gwo Zantiy; jam, Grieta hAntiliiz) is a grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, a ...
, although the upper-level regime remained favorable for eventual redevelopment.
On June 24, a low-level circulation had gradually become better established to the south of
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...
, although it was displaced from its poorly organized
convection
Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the c ...
. By 18:00
UTC, a surface
low-pressure area
In meteorology, a low-pressure area, low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclement weather (such as cloudy, windy, with possible ...
had formed about 105 miles (165 km) to the northeast of
Cabo Gracias a Dios
Cabo Gracias a Dios is a cape located in the middle of the east coast of Central America, within what is variously called the Mosquito Coast and La Mosquitia. It is the point where the Rio Coco flows into the Caribbean, and is the border bet ...
,
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the coun ...
, but due to a lack of persistent thunderstorm activity, it was not yet considered a tropical cyclone.
Later that day, convection increased over the center of circulation, and
atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1013.25 millibars, ...
s dropped across the region. Late on June 25,
Hurricane Hunters verified the development of a surface low pressure area, which, combined with the increase of thunderstorm activity, indicated the system was a tropical depression. Accordingly, the cyclone was classified as Tropical Depression One at 22:00 UTC, while located about 345 miles (555 km) to the east-southeast of
Chetumal, Quintana Roo. After the end of the
hurricane season, the
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 3 ...
revised their analysis and estimated that the system had actually become a tropical depression at around 18:00 UTC.
At the time of its formation, the depression was moving to the west-northwest, steered by a
high pressure system over the northern
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...
. An
anticyclone
An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon defined as a large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from ...
positioned over the storm created an environment of minimal wind shear, and the depression quickly intensified. At 09:00 UTC on June 26, the system obtained tropical storm status and was given the name ''Alex''.
As Tropical Storm Alex progressed through the western Caribbean Sea towards the
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula (, also , ; es, Península de Yucatán ) is a large peninsula in southeastern Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north ...
, it developed a large field of clouds accompanied by well-established
outflow throughout its circulation. Its inner structure was initially disorganized, although by late on June 26, it became better defined. At about 21:00 UTC, as the tropical storm approached the
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wa ...
coast, a Hurricane Hunters flight reported winds of 65 mph (100 km/h); early on June 27, Alex made
landfall
Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
just north of
Belize City
Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, wh ...
at this intensity. Upon moving ashore, an area of convection increased over the center, and the convection initially became better defined as it crossed the Yucatán Peninsula. While most tropical cyclones weaken and become disorganized after landfall, Alex seemed to become stronger when viewed on radar and satellite imagery—the National Hurricane Center noted in one of its forecast discussions that the cyclone's structure more closely resembled a hurricane than a deteriorating storm.
Still, after enough time over land, convective activity markedly decreased. Operationally, Alex was downgraded to a tropical depression as it approached the peninsula's western coastline; however post-analysis determined that Alex remained a minimal tropical storm. Late on June 27, the storm emerged into the Gulf of Mexico with a large overall convective structure but little thunderstorm activity near the center due to the interaction with land.
![Alex Jun 26 2010 1905Z](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Alex_Jun_26_2010_1905Z.jpg)
When Alex was still located over the Yucatán Peninsula, the NHC remarked upon the potential for significant strengthening. Because of low
wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizont ...
and very warm
water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, the possibility existed that Alex could intensify into a
major hurricane—a Category 3 storm on the
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale—before its next landfall.
Early on June 28, thunderstorm activity had reformed over the center, but over the following day, the combination of dry air, increasing
wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizont ...
and slightly cooler water temperatures prevented significant convection from developing over the center. At the same time, Alex was moving slowly off the northwest coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, and the environment's conditions became more favorable for intensification as the tropical storm tracked away from the coast. The circulation envelope of Alex remained very large, and by June 29, the storm's rainbands covered the entire western half of the Gulf of Mexico; rainfall was reported along the Texas and Louisiana coasts, even while the center was still several hundred miles offshore.
The tropical storm continued to strengthen, and based on reports from Hurricane Hunters, it is estimated that Alex attained Category 1 hurricane status at 03:00 UTC on June 30, about 255 miles (415 km) southeast of
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville () is a city in Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers , and has a population of 186,738 as of the 2020 census. I ...
.
Upon becoming a hurricane, Alex was located in a moist, low shear environment, which led to steady intensification on June 30. The pressure continued to fall—a sign of an intensifying cyclone—with a more rapid drop occurring that afternoon and evening. The hurricane strengthened into a Category 2 storm late on June 30, as it approached the northeastern Mexican coast. At 02:00 UTC on July 1, Alex made landfall at peak strength, with
maximum sustained wind
The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common
indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. U ...
s of with sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) and an unusually low central pressure central pressure of in the municipality of
Soto la Marina Soto la Marina is a town in Soto la Marina Municipality located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It was directly hit by Hurricane Alex in 2010. It is located on the banks of the Soto la Marina river, just up river from the small ocean port of L ...
in the Mexican state of
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
.
Operationally, the National Hurricane Center had the landfall intensity estimate as 105 mph (165 km/h), gusts of 125 mph (205 km/h) and a of when it struck the Mexican coast.
Several hours after moving ashore, the storm weakened to Category 1 status, and its structure began to deteriorate. However, deep convection persisted around the center. By 12:00 UTC, Alex had weakened into a tropical storm; by 00:00 UTC July 2, the
Sierra Madre Oriental
The Sierra Madre Oriental () is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico. The Sierra Madre Oriental is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that f ...
disrupted Alex's core, causing the storm to weaken into a tropical depression. Soon afterward, the storm's low-level circulation center dissipated over
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí), is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and i ...
.
However, the interaction with the mountain range caused
orographic lift
Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and cr ...
on the eastern side of the storm after the low-level circulation center had ceased to exist, producing torrential rainfall throughout northern and central Mexico.
Following the dissipation of Alex,
divergence
In vector calculus, divergence is a vector operator that operates on a vector field, producing a scalar field giving the quantity of the vector field's source at each point. More technically, the divergence represents the volume density of ...
at the 200 mb atmospheric pressure level (approximately at of altitude), a
ridge of high pressure located over southern
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, and Alex's residual moisture interacted to produce intense convection over
Nuevo León
Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. Wit ...
, Tamaulipas and
Coahuila
Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico.
Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...
for the next 72 hours.
Alex's mid-level circulation persisted for another several days, with the remnants turning northeastward and slowly moving towards
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. On July 6, Alex's remnants dissipated near the border of southwestern Texas.
Preparations
Caribbean
Immediately after the storm formed on June 25, a
tropical storm warning
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local popul ...
was issued for the entire east coast of
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo ( , ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo), is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 11 mu ...
on Mexico's
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula (, also , ; es, Península de Yucatán ) is a large peninsula in southeastern Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north ...
. Shortly thereafter, the tropical storm warning was extended to include the east coast of
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wa ...
.
Late on June 25, the
Government of Honduras
Politics of Honduras takes place in a framework of a multi-party system presidential system, presidential representative democracy, representative democratic republic. The President of Honduras is both head of state and head of government. Execut ...
issued a tropical storm warning for the islands of
Roatan,
Guanaja
Guanaja is one of the Bay Islands of Honduras and is in the Caribbean. It is about off the north coast of Honduras, and from the island of Roatan. One of the cays off Guanaja, also called Guanaja or Bonacca or Low Cay (or just simply, The C ...
and
Utila. A tropical storm watch was also issued from
Limón
Limón (), commonly known as Puerto Limón, is a district, the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the Limón canton in Costa Rica. It is the seventh largest city in Costa Rica, with a population of over 55,000, and is ho ...
to the border with
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by Hon ...
.
Western Gulf Coast
![Ready for Hurricane Alex](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Ready_for_Hurricane_Alex.jpg)
As Alex neared hurricane strength on the evening of June 28, a hurricane warning was issued for the coast of Texas south of
Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay (Inuktitut: ''Saknirutiak Imanga''; kl, Avannaata Imaa; french: Baie de Baffin), located between Baffin Island and the west coast of Greenland, is defined by the International Hydrographic Organization as a marginal sea of the Arc ...
to the mouth of the
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
The length of the Rio G ...
. The Mexican government also issued a hurricane warning from the Rio Grande south to La Cruz. A tropical storm warning was posted for coastal Texas from Baffin Bay northward to
Port O'Connor. Governor of Texas
Rick Perry
James Richard Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 14th United States secretary of energy from 2017 to 2019 and as the 47th governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015. Perry also ran unsuccessfully for the Republic ...
declared a state of disaster in 19 counties and ordered the deployment of
Texas Military Forces personnel (including 80 citizen-soldiers of the Texas State Guard Medical Brigade) to the Rio Grande Valley. President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
also declared a state of emergency, freeing federal funds for 25 counties in Texas.
On June 29, authorities began evacuations of residents of coastal areas in the
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
municipalities of
Soto la Marina Soto la Marina is a town in Soto la Marina Municipality located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It was directly hit by Hurricane Alex in 2010. It is located on the banks of the Soto la Marina river, just up river from the small ocean port of L ...
,
Matamoros and
San Fernando municipalities.
On June 30, the state's civil defense agency and education secretary announced that schools would be closed throughout the state during the storm. Thirteen shelters were opened in
Reynosa
Reynosa () is a border city in the northern part of the state of Tamaulipas, in Mexico. It is also the municipal seat of Reynosa Municipality.
The city is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande in the international Reynosa–McAllen Me ...
,
twenty-two in Matamoros, and ten in San Fernando; a total of 3,000 people sought protection from the storm in the three municipalities.
Throughout the state, 20,000 people were asked to evacuate to safer areas.
Nuevo León
Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. Wit ...
schools were also ordered to be closed for at least 24 hours;
the
Universidad Regiomontana
The Universidad Regiomontana (known by its shortened name U-ERRE, and previously by the abbreviation UR) is an institution of higher education in Monterrey, México. This university has its origin in the Instituto Modelo de Educación (Model Educ ...
,
Universidad de Monterrey and
Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León followed suit.
In
Monterrey
Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is ancho ...
, mandatory evacuations alongside the Santa Catarina River were ordered,
as well as the evacuation of 5,000 families in the highlands of the city.
Throughout the state, a total of 90 shelters were opened.
Coahuila
Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico.
Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...
did not close its schools, expecting Alex to reach the state as a tropical depression or weaker, but asked its schools to not take attendance.
Prior to Alex making landfall, the
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville () is a city in Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers , and has a population of 186,738 as of the 2020 census. I ...
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service (NWS) is an agency of the United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weather-related products to organizations and the public for the ...
issued a
flood watch for the southernmost region of the state. The storm was expected to produce heavy rainfall for up to 18 hours, which had the potential to cause significant flooding in poor drainage areas, especially those flooded by
Hurricane Dolly in 2008. Officials opened hurricane shelters, and voluntary evacuations were put into place for
South Padre Island
South Padre Island is a barrier island in the U.S. state of Texas. The remote landform is located in Cameron County, Willacy County, and accessible by the Queen Isabella Causeway. South Padre Island was formed when the creation of the Port Man ...
;
at least 1,000 people sought shelter in
Cameron
Cameron may refer to:
People
* Clan Cameron, a Scottish clan
* Cameron (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
* Cameron (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
;Mononym
* Cam'ron (born 1 ...
and
Hidalgo counties.
Impact
Caribbean and Central America
The tropical wave from which Alex developed produced rainfall across the
Greater Antilles
The Greater Antilles ( es, Grandes Antillas or Antillas Mayores; french: Grandes Antilles; ht, Gwo Zantiy; jam, Grieta hAntiliiz) is a grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, a ...
in the central Caribbean Sea.
In the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
, the rainfall triggered flooding that prompted the evacuations of over 3,000 people, mostly due to swollen rivers. In the capital city of
Santo Domingo
, total_type = Total
, population_density_km2 = auto
, timezone = AST (UTC −4)
, area_code_type = Area codes
, area_code = 809, 829, 849
, postal_code_type = Postal codes
, postal_code = 10100–10699 ( Distrito Nacional)
, webs ...
, 160 houses were flooded, and one person was killed by the storm; one additional person was reported missing. In nearby
San Juan de la Maguana
San Juan de la Maguana is a city and municipality in the western region of the Dominican Republic and capital of the San Juan province. It was one of the first cities established on the island; founded in 1503, and was given the name of San Juan ...
, more than 500 homes were inundated. In neighboring
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and s ...
, minor flooding was reported in
Gonaïves
Gonaïves (; ht, Gonayiv, ) is a List of communes of Haiti, commune in northern Haiti, and the capital of the Artibonite (department), Artibonite Departments of Haiti, department of Haiti. It has a population of about 300,000 people, but current ...
. The
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...
Meteorological Service issued a flash flood warning for its entire island in response to the tropical wave producing thunderstorms across the nation.
Fourteen people were killed in
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
as a result of flooding related to Alex: six in
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the coun ...
, six in
El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south ...
, and two in
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by Hon ...
.
In El Salvador, the national chapter of the
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
evacuated over 150 families from
La Paz
La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the third-most populous city in Bol ...
and
Sonsonate departments. The El Salvador government reported nine injuries, and 5,000 people in the country evacuated their residences; the majority of the evacuees was temporarily relocated to 55 shelters. Alex inflicted damage to 349 homes, 31 schools and 10 bridges, and 27 highways were compromised or blocked. In Guatemala, 350 homes and eight highways were damaged, affecting 9,000 people; 2,000 sought shelter in the country.
A landslide was reported in a village in
Santa Lucía Utatlán Santa Lucía Utatlán () is a municipality in the Sololá department
Sololá is a department in the west of Guatemala. The capital is the city of Sololá. Lake Atitlan is a key feature surrounded by a number of the municipalities.
Municipali ...
, along with flooding in
Flores
Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, a group of islands in the eastern half of Indonesia. Including the Komodo Islands off its west coast (but excluding the Solor Archipelago to the east of Flores), the land area is 15,530.58 km2, and t ...
. Corn, bean, and potato crops were damaged in
Suchitepéquez,
San Marcos and
Jutiapa departments. The National Emergency Management Organization of Belize reported that property damage in the country was minimal.
Gulf of Mexico
According to the Mexican government, Alex stopped the production of of oil per day from the Gulf of Mexico, which corresponds to a quarter of the country's total oil production.
Pemex
Pemex (a portmanteau of Petróleos Mexicanos, which translates to ''Mexican Petroleum'' in English; ) is the Mexican state-owned petroleum company managed and operated by the Mexican government. It was formed in 1938 by nationalization and expr ...
evacuated 66 personnel from oil rigs offshore of Tamaulipas and
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
,
Petrobras
Petróleo Brasileiro S.A., better known by the portmanteau Petrobras (), is a state-owned Brazilian multinational corporation in the petroleum industry headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The company's name translates to Brazilian Petrole ...
evacuated its oil rig in the Gulf, while
Royal Dutch Shell
Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New ...
evacuated 930 personnel from its rigs in the area.
In total, six rigs and 69 production platforms faced evacuations, causing 21% of U.S. Gulf oil output and 14% of U.S. Gulf natural-gas flows to remain offline.
The storm was expected to impact operations regarding the
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
The ''Deepwater Horizon'' oil spill (also referred to as the "BP oil spill") was an industrial disaster that began on 20 April 2010 off of the coast of the United States in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect, considere ...
, with both containment and cleanup operations being affected by repercussions from the storm (such as wave action and wind direction).
Although Alex stayed relatively away from the site, the storm caused
BP to delay plans to increase oil capture from the leak by a week.
Tarball Tarball may refer to:
* Tarball (computing), a type of archive file
* Tarball (oil)
A tarball is a blob of petroleum which has been weathered after floating in the ocean. Tarballs are an aquatic pollutant in most environments, although they can ...
s from the spill as large as apples washed onshore around
Grand Isle, as well as other parts of
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...
,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = " Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
and
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
,
from high
storm tide
A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the n ...
s created by the hurricane.
Southern Mexico
In
Chiapas
Chiapas (; Tzotzil and Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 124 municipalities ...
, one person from Guatemala died and four others were injured when their bus rolled over as it traveled over a damaged highway.
The state's civil defense system reported that 984 families from 17 municipalities were evacuated to shelters, and that Alex's torrential rainfall also produced 23 landslides in six counties of the state.
On June 30, a mudslide knocked down a tree onto a
115-kV transmission line near El Vergel, causing 82 cities and towns in the municipalities of
Villaflores and
Villa Corzo to lose power; 32,000 residents were left without electricity from this outage alone. Power was restored the same evening.
In
Yucatán
Yucatán (, also , , ; yua, Yúukatan ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán,; yua, link=no, Xóot' Noj Lu'umil Yúukatan. is one of the 31 states which comprise the federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 106 separate mun ...
, a boat carrying seven passengers capsized; all were eventually rescued.
In
Campeche
Campeche (; yua, Kaampech ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Campeche ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Campeche), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in southeast Mexico, it is bordered by ...
, 937 dwellings suffered minor damage as a result of the storm.
Prior to its second landfall, Alex caused one death in the state of
Oaxaca
Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the Federative Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 570 municipaliti ...
when a wall collapsed on a dwelling in San Juan Chapultepec, killing the woman who was sleeping inside. Near San Francisco Ixhuatán, the Ostuta river breached its banks, flooding 1,000 homes. Farther upstream, in Reforma de Pineda, over 100 families were affected by the river's rise, which flooded their homes with of water.
Overall, 3,500 families were affected by the storm in the state.
The outer rainbands of Alex caused three deaths in
Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has ...
,
Guerrero
Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acapulcocopied from article, GuerreroAs of 2020, Guerrero the pop ...
, after a retaining wall collapsed over the occupants of an improvised shack in a vacant lot. The investigation that followed found that the wall had been built without structural enforcements, and that the torrential rainfall had weakened the wall's foundation.
Northeastern Mexico
![Alex Jul 1 2010 1755Z](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Alex_Jul_1_2010_1755Z.jpg)
The storm's most significant effect in Northeastern Mexico was excessive rainfall, which was reported throughout the region. In Tamaulipas, between of precipitation were reported at weather stations statewide.
In Nuevo León, an average of of rain was reported statewide up to July 1.
The
pluviometer
A rain gauge (also known as udometer, pluvia metior, pluviometer, ombrometer, and hyetometer) is an instrument used by meteorologists and hydrologists to gather and measure the amount of liquid precipitation over a predefined area, over a perio ...
at Estanzuela reported that a total of of rainfall were recorded;
in Arroyo Seco, in
San Pedro Garza García
San Pedro Garza García ''(''also known as San Pedro or Garza García'')'' is a city-municipality of the Mexican state of Nuevo León and part of the Monterrey Metropolitan area. It is a contemporary commercial suburb of the larger metropolitan c ...
, a total of of precipitation was recorded between June 29 and on July 1. Other rainfall stations in Monterrey recorded between and of rain, while Santa Catarina recorded of precipitation.
The Comisión Nacional del Agua (CNA) noted that the storm rainfall totals greatly exceed the totals produced by
Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, which only produced of rain in the city.
The historic rainfall caused several dams to fill throughout northeast Mexico. In Nuevo León, due to the heavy rainfall, CNA also began water discharges of from the La Boca Dam in
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...
,
from Cerro Prieto in
Linares, and from Cuchillo Dam in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
;
the dams were at 98%, 114%, and 124% of operating maximum capacity, respectively.
Cuchillo Dam saw water inflows of .
The water releases from these dams raised a state of alert in Tamaulipas, which was slated to receive the discharged water. In Coahuila, the rainfall caused La Frakcjhuto release of water into the
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
The length of the Rio G ...
, and
Amistad Dam
Amistad Dam (Spanish: ''Presa la Amistad'') is a major embankment dam across the Rio Grande between Texas, United States, and Coahuila, Mexico. Built to provide irrigation water storage, flood control, and hydropower generation, it is the ...
to reach 119% of normal operating capacity. In the case of the latter dam, the excess storage in Amistad Lake sparked fears of flooding in downstream municipalities, although the possibility of overtopping of the dam was discarded by the Mexican section of the
International Boundary and Water Commission
The International Boundary and Water Commission ( es, links=no, Comisión Internacional de Límites y Aguas) is an international body created by the United States and Mexico in 1889 to apply the rules for determining the location of their intern ...
.
However, contingency plans were put in place to prepare for the crest of the Sabinas River, a tributary of the Rio Grande, and the subsequent crest on the Rio Grande itself, which was expected to carry at least
due to additional inflows from other tributaries. At one point, the Rio Grande was clocked at due to its many flooded tributaries.
The river's rise forced the evacuation of 40 families in
Piedras Negras, and required the closure of the
Gateway to the Americas International Bridge and
Colombia–Solidarity International Bridge between
Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas and
Laredo, Texas
Laredo ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Laredo has the distinction of flying seven flags (the Flag of th ...
on July 8. The bridges were expected to be closed until at least July 10. The rise of the Escondido River forced the evacuation of 1,000 families in Villa de Fuente, as the river rose to carry through the town.
The rainfall also caused Venustiano Carranza Dam in Coahuila to fill completely;
the large water pressure in the dam forced the dam's gates shut, and cranes were employed to open them.
The rest of the gates were unable to be opened due to lack of electrical power, sparking fears of a potential dam overtopping or rupture.
The municipality of
Anáhuac in Nuevo León was evacuated after reports early on July 6 that the dam had overtopped;
Anáhuac's
municipal president
A ''presidente municipal'' (English: "municipal president") is the chief of government of municipios in Mexico. This title was also used in the Philippines under the Spanish and American colonization; it is comparable to a mayor of the town or cit ...
stated that the flood could cause the "total destruction" of the city.
On July 7, as water releases from the dam were increased to , the town was reported to be underwater, with more discharge expected. Personnel from the
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army ( es, Ejército Mexicano) is the combined land and air branch and is the largest part of the Mexican Armed Forces; it is also known as the National Defense Army.
The Army is under the authority of the Secretariat of National ...
and the city's prison population were evacuated from Anáhuac that same day. In
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí), is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and i ...
, the rainfall from Alex was beneficial, as it caused increases in dam water levels of up to 20% in very dry areas.
Tamaulipas
![Alex 2010-07-01 0245Z](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Alex_2010-07-01_0245Z.png)
Along the coast, waves were reported when the storm came ashore.
Following the hurricane's landfall in
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
, a 25-year-old man was rescued from a storm drain.
60,000 people in San Fernando lost power,
as did all of
Ciudad Victoria
Ciudad Victoria () is the seat of the Municipality of Victoria, and the capital of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It is located in the northeast of Mexico at the foot of the Sierra Madre Oriental. It borders the municipality of Güémez to t ...
, the capital of the state.
Throughout the state, 256,000 people were left without electricity.
Heavy winds and rainfall knocked down billboards and trees in the capital, but no injuries were reported in the city. The storm dropped of rainfall in
Matamoros, flooding 120
colonias, and leaving six of the 120 underwater.
About 400 neighborhoods of Matamoros, comprising 80% of the city, were flooded. Some areas of the city were under of water,
forcing 4,000 people to shelters. In
Reynosa
Reynosa () is a border city in the northern part of the state of Tamaulipas, in Mexico. It is also the municipal seat of Reynosa Municipality.
The city is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande in the international Reynosa–McAllen Me ...
, 80 colonias were flooded, and 15 trees were uprooted; in
Río Bravo, seven neighborhoods were flooded. In
Nuevo Laredo
Nuevo Laredo () is a city in the Municipality of Nuevo Laredo in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The city lies on the banks of the Rio Grande, across from Laredo, United States. The 2010 census population of the city was 373,725. Nuevo Lar ...
, three young persons were rescued from a flooded arroyo.
The San Fernando River also breached its banks, flooding communities in
San Fernando and
Méndez. The overflow of the
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
The length of the Rio G ...
following water discharges from Nuevo León isolated two communities in
Miguel Alemán. One death was reported in the state on July 7 when a man died while trying to cross a flooded river.
Throughout the state, the storm and resultant floods damaged at least 6,000 homes, 202 schools, and 500 businesses. Additionally, 28 roadways and bridges were damaged, and left over 193,000 power consumers lost electric service.
Property damage was placed at $1.084 billion (2010 MXN; US$83.8 million) in the 19 municipalities of the state that were declared federal disaster areas.
Nuevo León
![Santa Catarina River Alex flooding](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Santa_Catarina_River_Alex_flooding.jpg)
In
Nuevo León
Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. Wit ...
, fifteen people were confirmed to have died: one bricklayer who died after a housing unit under construction collapsed on top of him; two men and a woman who died after their vehicle rolled over and crashed into a
semi-trailer truck
A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semitruck, (or semi, eighteen-wheeler, big rig, tractor-trailer or, by synecdoche, a semitrailer) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-traile ...
due to the intense rainfall; a 25-year-old who was swept away by swift currents and pinned against a fence; an elderly man who died after a wall toppled over him, a woman who died after a large boulder from a rock slide fell on her home, and a young man who fell onto the
Arroyo Topo Chico.
Eight more bodies were found after floodwaters began receding, although one is believed to have been washed away from a cemetery. Twenty people in Nuevo León were reported missing.
According to the
Comisión Federal de Electricidad
The Comisión Federal de Electricidad ( en, Federal Electricity Commission) is the state-owned electric utility of Mexico, widely known as CFE. It is the country's dominant electric company, and the country's second most powerful state-owned comp ...
, 4,000 customers lost electric power in the Monterrey metropolitan area,
as did 61,000 people statewide.
18 wells lost power, leaving 110,000 without water service in the municipalities of
Santa Catarina and
García.
Heavy flooding occurred along the Santa Catarina River in Monterrey, normally a dry river bed that flows into the
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
The length of the Rio G ...
, causing it to reach a record flow of .
The flooded stream washed away multiple parked vehicles,
a popular
flea market
A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously-owned (second-hand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development of 'formal ...
, and sport facilities built within a riverside
greenway. The Santa Catarina River also destroyed about of Monterrey's main arterial streets.
Multiple
washouts caused the closure of the divided highway between Monterrey and
Saltillo, Coahuila
Saltillo () is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Coahuila and is also the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. Mexico City, Monterrey, and Saltillo are all connected by a major railroad and hig ...
.
In
San Nicolás de los Garza
San Nicolás de los Garza, sometimes known only as San Nicolás, is a city and coextensive municipality in the Mexican state of Nuevo León that is part of the Monterrey metropolitan area. It has become primarily a city for residences and family ...
, the Arroyo Topo Chico exceeded its banks, forcing multiple street closures.
An explosion and fire occurred on a bridge in the
Guadalupe municipality when a
transformer
A transformer is a passive component that transfers electrical energy from one electrical circuit to another circuit, or multiple circuits. A varying current in any coil of the transformer produces a varying magnetic flux in the transformer' ...
fell on an old gas pipe. No injuries were reported due to the fire.
In
Linares, the rainfall from Alex's remnants caused a wing of the municipal townhouse, which was built in 1896, to collapse. The building was listed as a protected historic building. A bridge on the Pilón River collapsed in
Montemorelos, rupturing a 24-inch
oil pipeline
Pipeline transport is the long-distance transportation of a liquid or gas through a system of pipes—a pipeline—typically to a market area for consumption. The latest data from 2014 gives a total of slightly less than of pipeline in 120 count ...
in the process. However, the valves on both ends of the pipeline section were closed, minimizing the leak over the river, and the leak was not expected to adversely impact drinking water supplies in El Cuchillo Dam. Hurricane Alex affected the infrastructure of 1,077 schools in the state, 60 of which were severely damaged and 552 held intermediate damage. Nationwide disruption in Internet connection and cell phone services was caused by damage to optical fibers,
backbone nodes and telephonic central stations in Monterrey. Additionally,
Telefónica
Telefónica, S.A. () is a Spanish multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Madrid, Spain. It is one of the largest telephone operators and mobile network providers in the world. It provides fixed and mobile telephony, broadba ...
reported damage to its network in Monterrey and Saltillo, causing intermittent unavailability of telecommunication services. Preliminary estimates of the damage in the state rose to $10 billion (2010 MXN; US$762 million);
final damage estimates released on August 5 totaled $16.9 billion (2010 MXN; US$1.35 billion) statewide.
Coahuila
In
Coahuila
Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico.
Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...
, rainfall from Alex's remnants caused a small dam in an
ejido
An ''ejido'' (, from Latin ''exitum'') is an area of communal land used for agriculture in which community members have usufruct rights rather than ownership rights to land, which in Mexico is held by the Mexican state. People awarded ejidos in ...
in
Castaños to
overtop, forcing the evacuation of 50 people in the municipality's seat. The ensuing flood rose and damaged 15 homes. The coal-producing region of the state was left isolated after the Álamos River broke its banks. Hundreds of residents in
Nueva Rosita and
Sabinas
Sabinas is a city in Sabinas Municipality of the same name located in the northeastern quadrant of the state of Coahuila in Mexico. Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía. Principales resultados por localidad 2005 (ITER). Retrieved on ...
were evacuated;
in the latter case, the Sabinas River flooded to become in width, causing 400–500 homes to go underwater.
Some bridges on
Mexican Federal Highway 57
Federal Highway 57 (''Carretera Federal 57'') (Fed. 57) is a free (libre) part of the federal highways corridors (los corredores carreteros federales) of Mexico.
The 1301.83 km (808.92 mi) highway connects Mexico City with Piedra ...
were covered in water.
Thousands of citizens in
Ciudad Acuña
Ciudad Acuña, also known simply as Acuña, (originally Garza Galán, later Villa Acuña) is a city located in the Mexican state of Coahuila, at
and a mean height above sea level of . It stands on the Rio Grande (locally known as the Río Bra ...
were evacuated when the Arroyo Las Vacas flooded after of rain fell on nearby mountain ranges. The flood damaged 1,000 homes, damaging urban infrastructure, power, water and telecommunication services; 500 people sought refuge in shelters.
The loss of power caused 40
maquiladora
A (), or (), is a word that refers to factories that are largely duty free and tariff-free. These factories take raw materials and assemble, manufacture, or process them and export the finished product. These factories and systems are present t ...
s to suspend their activities, stopping 16,000 workers.
The rainfall caused damage in 15 municipalities of Coahuila, affecting 10,000 people,
and causing at least $1 billion (2010 MXN; US$76 million) in damage in the state.
United States
![FEMA - 44727 - Generators staged in Texas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/FEMA_-_44727_-_Generators_staged_in_Texas.jpg)
In southern Texas, the
feeder bands on the northern side of the hurricane began producing tropical-storm-force winds throughout
Cameron
Cameron may refer to:
People
* Clan Cameron, a Scottish clan
* Cameron (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
* Cameron (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
;Mononym
* Cam'ron (born 1 ...
,
Willacy and
Kenedy Counties starting on June 30. The highest reported sustained wind was of at the southeast tip of
Port Isabel Port Isabel may refer to:
Places
*Port Isabel, Texas, USA; a city in Cameron County
*Port Isabel, Sonora, Mexico; a former port (1864-1879) at the mouth of the Colorado River
* Port Isabel Independent School District, Cameron County, Texas, USA
* P ...
. The strongest gust occurred over the
Queen Isabella Causeway, where a wind speed of was measured. Sustained winds of and gusts of were measured in
Bayview.
The feeder bands also produced heavy rainfall, leading to flooding on South Padre Island. A
storm surge
A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the ...
of was reported on the island, causing moderate
beach erosion
Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landward ...
. However, more significant damage was avoided as the bulk of the
storm tide
A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the n ...
hit South Padre and
Port Isabel Port Isabel may refer to:
Places
*Port Isabel, Texas, USA; a city in Cameron County
*Port Isabel, Sonora, Mexico; a former port (1864-1879) at the mouth of the Colorado River
* Port Isabel Independent School District, Cameron County, Texas, USA
* P ...
at low tide.
Nine tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down in the state in association with the storm, one of which overturned a mobile home.
Other tornadoes caused mainly minimal damages to trees and shrubbery. About 9,000 customers lost power throughout Texas.
Large amounts of precipitation fell throughout the
Lower Rio Grande Valley
The Lower Rio Grande Valley ( es, Valle del Río Grande), commonly known as the Rio Grande Valley or locally as the Valley or RGV, is a region spanning the border of Texas and Mexico located in a floodplain of the Rio Grande near its mouth. The ...
, with of rainfall recorded throughout the region.
Brownsville Airport had of precipitation in a 36-hour period. The of rain that fell alone on June 30 broke the daily rainfall record of from 1995.
McAllen, Texas
McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States, and the 22nd-most populous city in Texas. It is located at the southern tip of the state in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Mexico–United States border. The city limits extend ...
, measured of rain on June 30, which now constitutes the city's wettest June day on record. In
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...
, more rain fell on the first two days of July than the average rainfall for the entire month of July. Some parts of the city received nearly of rain over three days, causing scattered street flooding.
Flooding caused by the rainfall from the remnants of Alex caused the
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
The length of the Rio G ...
at Foster Ranch, in far western Texas, to exceed , well above the flood stage at and the record stage at . Combined with the rainfall produced by
Tropical Depression Two, the Rio Grande was under flood conditions for much of the month of July.
About $10 million (2010 USD) of agricultural damage was reported in
Hidalgo County from Alex.
Aftermath and records
Government response
Following the storm's final landfall, Mexico's
Secretariat of National Defense deployed 800 troops to Nuevo León and Tamaulipas under
Plan DN-III-E
The Plan DN-III-E or Civil Relief and Aid Plan for Disasters (Spanish: ''Plan de Auxilio a la Población Civil en Casos de Desastre'') is a series of measures implemented primarily by the Mexican Ministry of National Defense, specifically the Mexi ...
to help aid operations. The troops enforced mandatory evacuations of 3,337 residents of San Fernando and Soto la Marina in Tamaulipas. Throughout Nuevo León, 60,000 people were evacuated from their homes.
In Tamaulipas, 263,000 people were affected by Hurricane Alex, and 2,260 homes were flooded. In Coahuila, 80,000 were affected by Alex's remnants, leaving 30% of the municipalities of the state without communication with the outside world.
20,000 were considered total losses, most of them in Sabinas. Approximately 500,000 people were affected by floods throughout northeastern Mexico.
The
Secretaría de Gobernación
The Mexican Secretariat for Home Affairs ( es, Secretaría de Gobernación, SEGOB, lit=Secretariat for Governance) is the public department concerned with the country's domestic affairs, the presenting of the president's bills to Congress, their ...
declared a
state of emergency
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
in 21 of Nuevo León's
51 municipalities, freeing federal disaster funds for use in aid operations.
An additional 10 municipalities were placed under the state of emergency on July 8. A similar declaration was made for 8 municipalities in Oaxaca, and for 14 municipalities in Tamaulipas; the state of emergency in Tamaulipas was later expanded to 30 municipalities.
Mexican President
Felipe Calderón
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa (; born 18 August 1962) is a Mexican politician who served as the 63rd president of Mexico from 1 December 2006 to 30 November 2012 and Secretary of Energy during the presidency of Vicente Fox between 2003 ...
requested adding resources to the federal disaster fund, as the $3 billion (2010 MXN; US$235 million) it held would not be sufficient to face the damage in Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. In the months following the storm, a total of $4.8 billion (2010 MXN; US$375 million) was released by the federal and state governments to aid in the reconstruction of the disaster areas in Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. In
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, Governor
Rick Perry
James Richard Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 14th United States secretary of energy from 2017 to 2019 and as the 47th governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015. Perry also ran unsuccessfully for the Republic ...
activated the state's search and rescue capabilities in
Laredo and
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_ ...
. This activation was due to the flooding on the Rio Grande Valley, which was expected to worsen due to the approach of
Tropical Depression Two to the area affected by Alex.
Even after its dissipation, Alex continued causing deaths throughout Mexico, particularly due to flooding. One death was reported in
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
and another one in
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí), is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and i ...
; another six were reported to have died in
Guanajuato
Guanajuato (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato), is one of the 32 states that make up the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 46 municipalities and its capital city i ...
as a result of Alex. In Coahuila, eight people died after a plane crashed while surveying the water discharges from dams in the state;
the Coahuila secretary of public works and the municipal president of Piedras Negras were among the victims.
Infrastructure
The storm caused severe devastation in Nuevo León, and in particular throughout the
Monterrey metropolitan area
The Monterrey metropolitan area refers to the surrounding urban agglomeration of Monterrey, Nuevo León. Officially called ''Area Metropolitana de la Ciudad de Monterrey'' or AMM, the metropolitan area is the 2nd-largest in Mexico.
Overview
Th ...
. State governor
Rodrigo Medina de la Cruz noted that the city of Monterrey had "collapsed due to the worst weather phenomenon in its history."
In the municipality of
Santa Catarina alone, 50,000 people were affected, with property damage being estimated at $1.2 billion (2010 MXN; US$93.5 million). Residents from three
colonias in
García had to be permanently relocated as 800 homes were destroyed; the storm caused $900 million (2010 MXN; US$70 million) in damage in the municipality. The flooding Santa Catarina River destroyed four bridges in Monterrey; at least 60 bridges were damaged statewide.
Governor Medina also announced on July 3 the allocation of $1.4 billion (2010 MXN; US$107 million) for repairs to Monterrey's arterial streets. Municipalities in the metropolitan area used
contraflow during part of the day to re-establish traffic in sections where the arterial streets bordering the Santa Catarina River were damaged only in one direction. The repairs to Monterrey's main roadways were estimated to take up to three months to complete.
Railway traffic throughout the state was paralyzed, as some train bridges collapsed, and extensive damage was found in the
track ballast
Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railroad ties (sleepers) are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to bear the load from the railroad ties, to facilitate drainage of water, and also to keep down veget ...
in multiple rail lines.
Kansas City Southern Railway
The Kansas City Southern Railway Company is an American Class I railroad. Founded in 1887, it operates in 10 midwestern and southeastern U.S. states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Loui ...
reported it expected a net loss of five cents per share on its annual earnings due to the stoppage affecting its
Mexican subsidiary. The company later reported a drop of $33 million (2010 USD) in revenue due to hurricane damage. The damage to the railway infrastructure caused automotive part shortages throughout North America.
General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
was forced to cancel shifts at plants in Michigan, Missouri and Kansas.
Ford also idled production in its
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Lake Ontario between Toronto and Hamilton. At its 2021 census population of 213,759, it is Ontario's largest town. Oakville is part of the Greater Toronto Area, one of the ...
assembly plant, and suffered two-week delays in U.S. deliveries of its
Fiesta model due to the rail track damage. The damage to the road system paralyzed a route used by 40% of the trade between the United States and Mexico, as 22,000 trucks were stalled after damage to the Nuevo Laredo–Monterrey highway.
Alex destroyed the potable water infrastructure in portions of Nuevo León, causing widespread shortages of water. The damage to the water infrastructure was described as being of "unexpected magnitude,"
with 160,000 left without water a week after the storm made landfall.
The standing water left following the rainfall caused concern of outbreaks of various diseases, including
cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium '' Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting an ...
. Consequently, the population was warned to boil or otherwise disinfect water to prevent disease. In areas where the storm's impact made it difficult to boil water due to the unavailability of gas or stoves, 70,000 jars with
colloidal silver were distributed. Additionally, laboratory testing of
refuse
Waste (or wastes) are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use. A by-product, by contrast is a joint product of relatively minor economic value. A waste prod ...
coming from individuals with gastrointestinary illnesses commenced as a precaution to identify outbreaks of cholera and other diseases, and over 82,000 vaccines were applied throughout the region. Following the storm's passage,
PROFECO
The Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor, or Office of the Federal Prosecutor for the Consumer (PROFECO, for short), is an organization of the Mexican government led by on the Attorney General. Mexico became the second Latin American nation to pas ...
announced fines of up to $2.5 million (2010 MXN; US$191,000) to merchants guilty of
price gouging
Price gouging is a pejorative term used to describe the situation when a seller increases the prices of goods, services, or commodities to a level much higher than is considered reasonable or fair. Usually, this event occurs after a demand or ...
when selling bottled water. This occurred after the agency received complaints of 1500% markups when compared to bottled water's pre-storm price. On July 7, the agency announced it had applied sanctions to 20 businesses who were found overcharging for bottled water.
Economic and environmental effects
According to estimates from the Mexican
Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), of farmland were damaged as a result from Alex in northeastern Mexico, corresponding to 11% of the total farmland in Tamaulipas, Nuevo León and Coahuila.
Most of the agricultural damage occurred in Tamaulipas, where of
sorghum
''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many other ...
and of
maize
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American English, North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous ...
were damaged, corresponding to 15.6% of the entirety of the state's farmland, and 76% of the state's maize crop; of grapefruit and limes were also damaged, corresponding to 15% of the state's citrus production. Two thousand heads of cattle were also lost in Nuevo Laredo.
In Nuevo León and Coahuila, most of the damage was to
animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...
; in Nuevo León, 3,645 heads of cattle, 3,580 goats, 7,265 sheep and 194 horses were lost, while in Coahuila, 3,709 goats, 258 cattle and 56 sheep were killed.
The storm also affected commerce throughout the region. The Mexican
Secretariat of Economy
In Mexico, the Secretariat of Economy ( Spanish: ''Secretaría de Economía''; abbreviated "SE") is the government department in charge of matters related to the economy. The Secretary of Economy is a member of the federal executive cabinet app ...
calculated that Alex affected 2,500
small and medium enterprises
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are businesses whose personnel and revenue numbers fall below certain limits. The abbreviation "SME" is used by international organizations such as the World Bank ...
in Nuevo León, 500 in Tamaulipas, and 500–700 in Coahuila. In Monterrey, the
local chapter of the
Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce reported that in the first two days after Hurricane Alex affected the city, businesses in the city lost $750 million (2010 MXN; US$58 million). Overall, the lost business due to Alex is expected to total about $2 billion (2010 MXN; US$156 million).
As floodwaters receded from the Pesquería River in
Escobedo, Nuevo León, the remnants of a 15,000-year-old
mammoth
A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus'', one of the many genera that make up the order of trunked mammals called proboscideans. The various species of mammoth were commonly equipped with long, curved tusks an ...
were discovered by local residents. It is believed that the remains were carried from the state of Coahuila to Escobedo by the floodwaters. The remnants were identified and dated by personnel from the
Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia
The Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH, ''National Institute of Anthropology and History'') is a Mexican federal government bureau established in 1939 to guarantee the research, preservation, protection, and promotion of th ...
.
Despite the destruction caused by the storm, the name ''Alex'' was not retired, and was used again in the
2016 season.
Meteorological records
Alex was the first Atlantic hurricane in the month of June since
Hurricane Allison in 1995, and the strongest in terms of wind speed since
Hurricane Alma in
1966
Events January
* January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko.
* January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo ...
. Its
barometric pressure
Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1013.25 millibars, 7 ...
recording of 946 mbar (27.96 inches) is the most intense from any Atlantic hurricane in June, although
Hurricane Audrey
Hurricane Audrey was one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in U.S. history, killing at least 416 people in its devastation of the southwestern Louisiana coast in 1957. Along with Hurricane Alex in 2010, it was also the strongest June hur ...
in
1957
1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...
ties this intensity. Alex is thus tied for the most intense June Atlantic hurricane on record overall.
See also
*
Other storms named Alex
*
Timeline of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2010 Atlantic hurricane season was an event in the annual tropical cyclone season in the north Atlantic Ocean. It was one of the most active Atlantic hurricane seasons since record keeping began in 1851 as 19 Tropical cyclone naming, named s ...
References
External links
The National Hurricane Center's Advisory Archive for Hurricane AlexHigh resolution satellite loop of eye's landfallRadar loop of landfall{{2010 Atlantic hurricane season buttons
Alex
Alex (2010)
Alex (2010)
Alex (2010)
2010 in Mexico
Articles containing video clips
Alex