Gov't Declares Disaster in Areas Hit by Storm EFE
go to original June 19, 2012

MEXICO CITY - A disaster declaration has been issued for 68 cities in the southern state of Oaxaca and five cities in the southwestern state of Guerrero affected by Hurricane Carlotta, the Mexican federal government said.

The disaster declaration will allow areas hit by the storm to receive assistance, the national emergency management office said.

Affected cities will be eligible to receive money from the Natural Disasters Fund to provide food, clothing and medical assistance to hurricane victims, the government said in a statement.

Carlotta became a Category 1 hurricane on Friday and strengthened to Category 2.

The storm later weakened and made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane before being downgraded Saturday morning to a tropical storm and later to a tropical depression.

Oaxaca was the state most affected by Hurricane Carlotta, which killed at least three people in the region.

Cities across Oaxaca reported damage to roads, bridges, telephone lines, the power grid and crops.

The storm dumped heavy rains on western, central and southern Mexico.

The Pacific Ocean hurricane season began on May 15 and ends on Nov. 30.

The first hurricane of the season was Bud, which formed on May 24 and reached Category 3 but caused little damage.

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