Jalisco is experiencing one of its wettest seasons in decades, with abundant rainfall replenishing dams, boosting agriculture, and raising Lake Chapala’s water level to 71 percent capacity (as of September 30). However, the same storms have also caused destruction, prompting ten emergency declarations and claiming at least 19 lives, according to state authorities. Meteorologists from the University of Guadalajara report that rainfall across the state has already surpassed annual averages, making 2025 one of the wettest years on record.
While the rains have eased water shortages, flash floods and swollen rivers have impacted many communities. In Puerto Vallarta, nearly 150 homes were damaged by flooding on September 19, along with two primary schools. Earlier last month, severe storms in Tlajomulco and Tlaquepaque flooded more than 140 homes in the Guadalajara metropolitan area, while the Lerma River overflowed, submerging streets and forcing evacuations in communities on the eastern perimeter of Lake Chapala.
Most recently, heavy rains in the early hours of September 29 in Tototlán—about 20 miles north of Ocotlán—left around 450 families with flood-damaged homes. Governor Pablo Lemus, who visited the town later that morning, pledged full state support, stating, “We cannot live with the uncertainty of what will happen every time it rains. We will work with municipalities on long-term solutions.”
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