Baja California Sur has completed the installation of Municipal Civil Protection Councils in all five of its municipalities, putting local emergency response structures in place ahead of what forecasters predict will be an above-average hurricane season.
Civil Protection Undersecretary Héctor Amparano Herrera announced that the councils are now active in La Paz, Los Cabos, Comondú, Mulegé, and Loreto. The move was directed by the State Civil Protection Council, which is chaired by Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío. Each municipal council now has prevention strategies, immediate response plans, and designated temporary shelters ready for the coming storm season.
La Paz First to Act
La Paz installed its Municipal Civil Protection Council on Tuesday, May 20, and declared it in permanent session. Amparano Herrera praised La Paz for its speed and noted that Mexico’s Supreme Court issued a statement on May 16 urging all municipalities nationwide to maintain updated risk atlases.
The undersecretary said his office would help the northern municipalities and Los Cabos obtain updated planning and prevention documents quickly. He cited specific vulnerability in the Los Cabos area, noting that between 45,000 and 50,000 people live in at-risk settlements there.
Coordination With Utilities and Rural Areas
During the La Paz session, officials requested that Civil Protection provide the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) with the GPS coordinates of wells that supply the city’s drinking water. The goal is to prioritize power restoration at those sites after a storm, preventing prolonged water outages.
La Paz’s mayor also called on Civil Protection, the City Council Secretariat, and the Coordination of Delegations to reach rural district areas. The request aimed to establish rural civil protection councils with secure communication channels for emergencies.
An Above-Average Season Expected
Forecasting models predict a busier-than-normal cyclone season for the Baja California peninsula. Historically, roughly one in seven hurricanes that strike Mexico makes landfall in Baja California Sur. Officials are urging all households to review their own preparedness plans, identify their nearest shelter, and stock emergency supplies before storm activity begins in earnest.
La Paz’s municipal Civil Protection director, Francisco Cervantes Navarro, presented the city’s 2025 Special Program during the council’s first session, detailing specific protocols for the months ahead.
The announcement was originally reported by the Baja California Sur state government (bcs.gob.mx) and Palabra BCS.