Hurricane John triggered continuous rain, causing severe disasters in south Mexico's Guerrero state.
The storm's devastating impact has caused significant secondary disasters such as floods and waterlogging in the Mexican state of Guerrero. So far, at least 22 people died in states such as Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Michoacan.
Chilpancingo, state of Guerrero, is one of the cities most severely affected. The northern and downstream areas of Chilpancingo have suffered the most severe damage.
After the hurricane had passed, five consecutive days of heavy rain caused the Huacapa River, the main river of Chilpancingo, to be unable to withstand the immense precipitation, leading to floods and waterlogging.
Residents living downstream in the city have lost almost everything after the hurricane passed through. According to reports, two people have already lost their lives due to flooding in the capital alone. Local residents and the government are working hard to clean up the affected communities.
The life of nearly 3,800 residents in Guerrero has been affected. While Guadalupe Cayetano, a local resident, did not lose her house, the flood washed away a significant portion of her belongings.
"Local residents heard the government said, 'the hurricane has passed, we won't have any greater danger'. However, as everyone can see, it has turned out like this again," she said.
Cayetano refused to leave her home, and she hopes to quickly restore her normal life. However, she had to sleep at other relatives' homes for several nights, while other residents chose to go to the nearby temporary shelters set up by the government.
"We indeed panicked due to the hurricane, as we saw the entire state of Guerrero being submerged by floods, with many families losing contact. Many bridges collapsed. We don't even know where to go next to live," said Angelica Perez, another local resident.
Hurricane John wreaks havoc in Mexico's Guerrero state
Various celebrations are being staged across China in anticipation of the fast-approaching New Year's Day and the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday, or Spring Festival, boosting the market for related goods as more revelers get into the festive spirit.
In Beijing, more than 1,000 lanterns themed around fashion and technology are offering a colorful display in the city's Wenyuhe Park, making it one of the largest lantern festivals in the city this year.
In Shanghai, business districts have launched a series of themed decorations, exhibitions, performances, and interactive activities. Local authorities have also distributed consumption coupons, further stimulating consumer spending during the New Year's Day holiday, which falls on Wednesday.
In the nearby city of Hangzhou in the eastern Zhejiang Province, several promotional activities have been introduced to boost consumption. Additionally, business areas and shopping streets have been upgraded to meet the consumer demand for high-quality goods.
Special Spring Festival fairs have also been set up across the country as Chinese people gear up for their largest annual celebration around the Chinese New Year, which lands at the end of January in 2025.
In Huaiyuan County of east China's Anhui Province, a local fair is attracting visitors with a variety of well-known agricultural products. In Zhangzhou City of the coastal Fujian Province, a one-stop feature fair allows both visitors and locals to purchase a wide range of items.
Meanwhile, in northeast China's Jilin Province, local authorities in the city of Ji'an have sought to take advantage of the snowy conditions by integrating winter sports, offering visitors the chance to enjoy a range of snow and ice activities while shopping for Spring Festival goods.
Additionally, flowers are in high demand at many marketplaces across China as more people look to prepare some floral decorations as part of the celebrations.
In Kunming of southwest China's Yunnan Province, a special flower street featuring Chinese New Year flowers has been set up, where over 15,000 flowers are available, including more than 120 varieties of orchids.
Local flower markets area also in full bloom in various other places, from the northern cities of Shijiazhuang and Taiyuan to Hetian in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, all offering a wide variety of creative and unique flowers, which have been well received by residents.
New Year celebrations help boost market for festive goods
