Resourceful or persevering? Five hundred years after its founding, the inhabitants of Mexico City continue to pay the consequences of having settled on such irregular terrain. The Valley of Mexico Basin is a place of many good things, no doubt about it. However, the fragile and soft soil, inherited from an extensive network of lakes, is not one of them. This problem worsens during the rainy season. Although there are records of terrible floods that go back to 1600, the last great flood of the twentieth century in the capital was experienced on July 15, 1951. This is one of the most dramatic episodes in the history of floods in Mexico City.
An awakening surrounded by water
That summer of 51, the storm raged over the city. According to newspapers of the time, after hours of uninterrupted rain, the people of the capital woke up on Monday morning, July 15, submerged in chaos. The Consulado River had exceeded its level, flooding Tlatilco. The San Joaquín River was overflowing over the Hospital Español. The softened walls of the Guerrero neighborhood crumbled to the touch. Other areas exceeded the two-meter mark, drowning dozens of homes and businesses. Existing waterworks were degraded to obsolescence. Once again, the metropolis yielded to an old problem, submerged by the biblical wrath of water.
At that time, the person in charge of evicting the Valley of Mexico was el Gran Canal de Desagüeinaugurated during the Porfiriato period. Along its 47 kilometers, the canal transported water from San Lazaro to the Zumpango Lagoon and then to the state of Hidalgo.
That early morning, however, el Gran Canal did not capture water. The rain accumulated in collectors, drains, streets and houses, which subsequently collapsed. The water flooded the city. Everything was under water: the Candelaria de los Patos neighborhood in the east, Condesa in the west, Tránsito, Obrera, Doctores, San Pedro de los Pinos and Portales in the south; Guerrero and Peralvillo in the north. Half of the then 3 million inhabitants of the capital ended up with their homes and businesses submerged in water.
CDMX under water
We were once again facing a natural catastrophe. However, this did not slow down the frenetic pace of life in the then Federal District. The photographic archives show the improvisation of walkways with planks and cobblestones. Wooden boats and rubber rafts served as temporary means of transportation. The daring ones jumped into 16 de Septiembre and Bolívar as if it were a swimming pool. The most perspicacious offered their services as gondoliers to make a few cents in the midst of adversity.
It took ten days and extraordinary pumping systems to dry up the lake of mud from the flooding. There are even some records that indicate that it took three months for the city to be completely rehabilitated. When it came to establishing who was to blame, both the Azcapotzalco Refinery and the Buenavista Train Station were singled out for their responsibility in generating "grease plugs" that became embedded in the drainage system. It is said that they were so dense that it was necessary to use pneumatic drills to get rid of them.
A history of past and future floods
After the tragedy, there was no choice but to consider establishing a deep drainage system. This was the first time this had been done. The idea was that it should be so low to the ground that it would not be affected by land subsidence. In this way, the CDMX now has a network of three-meter diameter collectors under its road axes, three interceptors (East, West and Central), in addition to a 50-kilometer long central emitter. So far, the mechanism has proved effective. But it will not last forever. According to projections, it will fail again as the region continues to grow exponentially.
Perpetual antagonists, the CDMX and its dried-up lakes will continue to fight for the sovereignty of the Valley of Mexico. A permanent reminder of both our lake history and the perseverance of the inhabitants to continue making this great city their own.
