Damage Prevention Measures Needed for Vallarta's Heavy Rains Peri Cuevas - PV Mirror
go to original August 28, 2012

(Source: Tim Longpré - PVRPV)

It has been a wet summer this year in Puerto Vallarta with almost as much rainfall to date as the average yearly figure of 57 inches/1452 mm (per information recorded at the Puerto Vallarta International Airport - PVR), with the normally wettest month of September coming up.

It is urgent to work on avoiding disasters caused by rain.

Although it is impossible to be 100% prepared to face natural phenomena, authorities have much to do in preventing such phenomena from becoming tragic, said Federal and local Deputy Elect, Juan José Cuevas, following last Tuesday's serious floods in Puerto Vallarta.

For example, he added, "we must work on cleaning up the rivers, repairing the streets that are full of potholes, avoid further constructions, businesses, schools and other buildings in floodprone zones and along the river banks."

In cases such as Francisco Villa Avenue and Poetas, "we must work seriously to clear the outlets and drains; Francisco Villa is a problem we've had for years... It is the authorities' responsibility to be prepared... how is it possible to strand hundreds of students at the Univa and the Coastal University Center; we cannot let the Regional Hospital or the new IMSS clinic be incommunicado."

Cuevas indicated that next year, as local Deputy, he will ask for an in-depth audit of the City's financial status "to determine where funds were prioritized, because it is clear that when it comes to civil protection and urban infrastructure maintenance, investment was minimal or nil, and this is not permissible: flooded streets, potholes hidden underwater, open manholes, lack of lighting... the rivers were here before human settlements, and they must continue to feed the estuary, a most important ecosystem."

(Source: prensaglobal.com)