Storm Arlene leaves 4 dead, several disaster areas in Mexico

Mexican authorities declared several towns a disaster area Friday, in the wake of tropical storm Arlene, which caused floods and mudslides that have claimed at least four lives and led to the evacuation of thousands of people, dpa reported. Mexico's Interior Ministry declared a disaster area in 53 municipalities in the state of Veracruz, where Arlene made landfall as a tropical storm early Thursday. The declaration gives access to extra emergency funds. The towns of Nezahualcoyotl and Ecatepec, in the state of Mexico, were also expected to be declared disaster zones soon, after the Rio de los Remedios, a wastewater canal, flowed over its banks and into streets and homes. Arlene, the first tropical storm of the season in the Atlantic, has since been degraded to a tropical depression, although it kept causing heavy rain over Mexico. The Army was assisting victims of the disaster. The storm affected Veracruz and areas around Mexico City in the state of Mexico, but also the states of Tamaulipas, Hidalgo, Queretaro, Puebla, Oaxaca and San Luis Potosi, among others.