Nearly all services, including drinking water and public transportation, were shut down in Villahermosa.
Weather forecasters predicted more rain in the coming days. The flooding was not related to (Hurricane Noel), which pounded the Caribbean before moving north.
The Grijalva River, one of two large waterways ringing Villahermosa, has risen more than six feet (two meters) above its "critical" level and gushed into the city's center. Authorities said some of the rivers were continuing to rise.
In Villahermosa dozens of survivors anxious about relatives and friends crowded outside government offices seeking assistance. Others waded despondently through waist-deep water or wandered along highways leading out of the capital.
"We lost everything," said Manuel Gonzalez, whose house was swallowed by the floodwaters early Thursday. "I left without one peso in my pocket, and I can't find my siblings."
The state of Chiapas, which borders Tabasco to the south, also reported serious flooding, with officials there estimating that more than 100,000 people had been affected.
——
Associated Press writer Manuel de la Cruz in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Free Email News Updates
Sign up for our Inside National Geographic newsletter. Every two weeks we'll send you our top stories and pictures (see sample).
