Massive flooding in Tabasco

November 2, 2007 6:30 PM

300,000 people are stranded due to massive flooding in Tabasco, Mexico. More from UNICEF. Video from Reuters.

It would be great if folks could chip in their ideas of possible places to send aid. Via Campesina is one idea, but I don't know much about what organizations do work in Tabasco already.

posted by serazin (21 comments total)

Can't we send Brownie down for another heckuva job?

Tasteless jokes aside, though, this looks really bad and I sure hope the rescue efforts there won't be as pathetic as they were in the aftermath of Katrina in 2005.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:38 PM on November 2, 2007

Does it mean I'm a bad person if, every single time I hear this on the news, my brain thinks "Oh, like the sauce."?
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:45 PM on November 2, 2007

Yup.
posted by serazin at 6:47 PM on November 2, 2007

I'm a bad person too. An even worse person would say "at least it isn't massive flooding OF Tabasco". I'm proud that I would never do that, though. It's tasteless and obvious and dumb and not funny.
posted by DU at 6:59 PM on November 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

what organizations do work in Tabasco already

biting lower lip
posted by CynicalKnight at 7:04 PM on November 2, 2007

From my wife, an even worse person than the hypothetical worse person I hypothetically quoted: Far from tasteless, I'd say Tabasco goes great with everything from eggs to tacos!
posted by DU at 7:08 PM on November 2, 2007

I'm watching T.V. and the latest number of stranded people is at least 1 million not 300k.

Tabasco Hoy, a mexican newspaper, has great coverage. In this article you can see a video of what the city looks like from above.
posted by edmz at 7:08 PM on November 2, 2007

Tabasco Hoy

Dammit, now I'm thinking of a big tanker ship full of Tabasco sauce.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:17 PM on November 2, 2007 [2 favorites]

I'm thinking of Tabasco Ahoy! ..chocolate chip cookies dipped in tobasco sauce. Am I going to hell now, or just my mouth?
posted by ZachsMind at 8:09 PM on November 2, 2007

I just hope there isn't a natural disaster in Worcestershire.
posted by wendell at 8:14 PM on November 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

OK, enough with the condiment jokes already.
Anyone know of a way to help?
Catholic Relief Services has donated $1.5 million and Medical Teams International already has sent doctors into the area.
How about non-religious NGOs?
I usually give to MercyCorps but they don't have a program in Mexico.
Any other ideas?
posted by ameca at 8:37 PM on November 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

The only way this thread could be more childish is if the topic was about the Earl of Sandwich suffering Crohn's Disease.
posted by jonson at 8:41 PM on November 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

Holy crap that's a lot of water.
posted by dobbs at 9:28 PM on November 2, 2007

Wow, I was in Villahermosa in September. Fun town. Lots of rivers around. It rained like a motherfucker, and the sideways rain came through the air conditioner and totally flooded our companions' 3rd floor hostel room. With inches of water. The staff was not as daffy about the storm as we were. They were like "no, there's no other rooms free, we'll just mop a little up in here." I've never been in such a storm before.

Someone's probably in that 3rd floor hostel room right now. Incredible.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:05 PM on November 2, 2007

I was in Villahermosa, which is the city in Dobbs video a few years ago. It's pretty shocking to see it under that much water. The latest news sounds pretty grim:

The floods have submerged about 80 per cent of the state, forcing thousands to flee. At least 800,000 people are homeless, while tens of thousands are still stranded and drinking water and food are in short supply. Domestic airlines have been asked to help carry fresh supplies to the state capital.

posted by Staggering Jack at 11:12 PM on November 2, 2007

Oh, God. I hope it gets darn cold there fast.... Dengue.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:23 PM on November 2, 2007

Villahermosa had some of the best combi/collectivos (collective taxis) I've had the pleasure of riding in. I'm hoping that they crammed them full of people and got to higher ground before the roads hit, but, sadly, I doubt this was the case.
posted by Staggering Jack at 11:24 PM on November 2, 2007

err, that should have been before the floods hit.
posted by Staggering Jack at 11:26 PM on November 2, 2007

100% crop failure.

But, hey ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE IN TOBASCO!!! HAHAHA! JUST LIKE NEW ORLEANS! TOBASCO!! AMIRITE!!!
posted by dirigibleman at 12:59 AM on November 3, 2007

If they were even the slightest bit funny, you assholes might get a pass for the stupid goddamn tabasco jokes. But they aren't. Step away from the Metafilter, learn some fucking geography, and hope the next time you and your loved ones are ass-deep in your own natural disaster, the rest of us don't stand back and laugh because you shit yourself from fear.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:58 PM on November 3, 2007 [3 favorites]

Not only a city but an entire state, vast.
posted by nickyskye at 7:15 PM on November 3, 2007