2025.10.12 – How Flooding and Price Surges Hit Poza Rica: Reality, Claims and Questions (as of 12 October 2025, 17:20 CEST)

Key Points

• Heavy rains caused the Cazones River in Poza Rica to overflow, flooding parts of the city near major retail stores and transport hubs.
• After the rains eased, the river receded and cleanup operations began, though some looting was reported near flooded commercial areas.
• Local media published testimonies that staples, especially eggs, doubled in price in some neighborhoods.
• Independent verification confirms flooding and recovery but does not confirm those price rises in official data.
• Pre-existing inflation in agricultural goods and market disruption make such spikes plausible, though their scale is unverified.

Flood Impact in Poza Rica

Between October 6 and 9, 2025, the region around Poza Rica, Veracruz, experienced intense rainfall. The Cazones River overflowed, inundating streets near large retailers such as Chedraui, Walmart, and Sam’s, as well as bus terminals. Heavy rains triggered floods and landslides across Mexico (source: AP News).

By October 12 (17:20 CEST, Netherlands time), floodwaters had largely receded and cleanup efforts were underway (source: Reuters). Authorities still treated the situation as an emergency due to infrastructure damage, casualties in nearby areas, and ongoing rescue operations (source: AP News).

Images and reports documented looting in damaged shops around Poza Rica, with people removing goods from flooded stores (source: AP News).

Reports of Rising Prices

Local news outlets shared testimonies that prices of essential goods increased sharply after the flooding. For example, Diario de Xalapa (OEM network) quoted that egg prices jumped from 60 to 120 Mexican pesos per kilogram (translated from Spanish).

Other mentions in those sources suggested increases in milk and beans as well, though these were less consistently documented.

These reports, while not official, align with expected consequences of supply chain disruption such as loss of inventory, transport interruptions, and opportunistic pricing in affected areas.

The Broader Inflation Picture

Even before the floods, Mexico was experiencing upward pressure on food and agricultural product prices. In April 2025, agro-product prices rose approximately 1.6 percent, contributing to national inflation of 3.93 percent (source: AP News).

Thus, any flood-related price jumps would have been layered on top of existing inflation trends, not entirely new phenomena.

Why Official Data Is Still Missing

A search of governmental and consumer protection sources, including Profeco (Federal Consumer Protection Agency) and INEGI (National Institute of Statistics and Geography), did not yield any public bulletins confirming price surges in Poza Rica directly tied to the disaster.

Official communications focused on:

• Emergency relief, evacuation, and infrastructure repairs
• Health, sanitation, and restoration of utilities
• Advisories for citizens to use Profeco’s “Quién es Quién en los Precios” (Who’s Who in Prices) tool to compare store rates and report suspected overpricing

The lack of published confirmation does not disprove local claims, but it means they remain unverified by official audit or investigation.

Final Reflections

• The flood in Poza Rica, caused by the overflow of the Cazones River, is well documented and verified by multiple news agencies.
• Reports of doubling prices for eggs and hikes for other staples are plausible and circulated by local press, but remain anecdotal without official validation.
• Given Mexico’s inflation and the typical disruptions caused by natural disasters, temporary spikes in perishable goods are credible.
• As recovery continues, authorities should monitor and publish price data so affected populations can verify whether they are paying fair rates.

Sources

• AP News: Heavy rains in Mexico set off floods and landslides — reporting on flooding, casualties, and Poza Rica’s situation.
• Reuters: Heavy rains in Mexico leave nearly 30 dead — on flooding across Mexico including Veracruz.
• YouTube: Mexico Destroyed Today! Storm Raymond, Giant Floods Swept Away Cars in Veracruz — video evidence of flooding and river overflow.
• YouTube: Tsunami-like Disaster in Veracruz, Mexico: Cazones River Overflows Flooded Poza Rica — video imagery of flood impact and submerged streets.
• The Weather Company: Flooding in Central and Southeast Mexico Kills 41 — corroboration of floods and regional damage.