San Cristobal has been affected by various floods, of which the one registered in 1785 stands out. Photo: San Cristobal lives.
* Recently, in June, the rains caused by “Cristobal” hit the state. However, in history, Chiapas has remained a target of natural disasters that have been compiled by experts.
A little over a month ago, the tropical storm “Cristóbal” touched lands in Chiapas, bringing with it heavy rains that ended up wreaking havoc in various parts of the state. According to information from Civil Protection, San Cristóbal de las Casas, was one of the municipalities affected by the landslides or landslides that occurred in the highway sections.
However, through the records of studies carried out by experts in historical climatology in the state, the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas has been a key point regarding the natural disasters that have affected Chiapas, specifically speaking of the floods that have been recorded in human history.
On August 30, 1785, the Royal City of Chiapa – as this municipality was called until 1829 – a weather event was recorded that caused heavy rains for at least three days and three nights. “Enrique Flores Cano made a publication more or less in the 80s in which he details that between 1785 and 1786 there was an extreme climatic situation that brought droughts that brought very serious consequences, both in agriculture and in society” he comments Ana Parrilla, PhD in Geography and History.
What is intended with this new line of research is to know the extreme climatic events that occurred in a period in which the instrumentation did not yet exist. At least in the case of Chiapas, the measurement of the climate begins at the beginning of the 20th century and until that moment there was no record of how the climate has been changing ”Parrilla emphasizes.
For this research, a search was carried out in the historical documents of the state, managed by a network of specialists in charge of Luis Arrioja to be able to know the effects of some meteorological phenomena that occurred over time and in different spaces, as well as to study the steps taken to take the necessary protective measures.
This flood is not a new topic, since it has been treated by various authors, ”said the expert. Photo: YouTube.
Parrilla points out that, taking the misfortune that occurred in San Cristóbal as an example, due to the mountainous geography of the state, together with the clayey composition of the soil, they favor a precipitation of water, making it unable to integrate properly with the land, which translates into the floods that Chiapas has been the victim of over the years.
“What we must take into account is that Ciudad Real is located in a place where the runoff is very strong, where a reservoir is created when it rains too much and the only forms of drainage are the sinks,” he adds.
“Real city did not have the ideal conditions to make a population” highlights Parrilla. Photo: YouTube.
The expert concluded by highlighting the importance of public policies being based, mainly, on knowledge of the geographical and meteorological conditions of the localities, in order to carry out the appropriate steps and act in the proper way in the face of the appearance of different natural phenomena and above all , think ahead about the weather conditions of each time.
Source: chiapasparalelo.com
