Mexico’s national Civil Protection coordinator Laura Velázquez has classified Comondú as the highest flood risk municipality in Baja California Sur, giving it a “very high” rating on the country’s National Risk Atlas ahead of the June through November hurricane season.
All five municipalities in the state received medium-to-very-high risk ratings. The National Risk Atlas uses a color-coded system: red for very high, orange for high, and yellow for medium. Comondú earned the only red designation in the state.
Why Comondú Faces the Greatest Danger
Comondú’s flat terrain makes it especially vulnerable. When heavy rains hit the surrounding higher-elevation municipalities, water flows downhill and pools in Comondú’s low-lying areas with nowhere to drain. The municipality, which includes the agricultural hub of Ciudad Constitución, sits in a natural basin that collects runoff from across the central peninsula.
Baja California Sur’s five municipalities (Los Cabos, La Paz, Comondú, Loreto, and Mulegé) cover roughly 73,475 square kilometers. Tropical cyclones from the eastern Pacific basin contribute up to 69% of annual precipitation in the state, meaning most of the region’s rainfall arrives in intense bursts during storm season.
Los Cabos Has the Most Critical Flood Points
While Comondú carries the highest overall risk rating, Los Cabos has the most critical flood points in the state at 12. La Paz follows with 10. The state has 27 total critical flood points spread across the peninsula. These are specific locations where floodwater accumulates most dangerously during storms.
For context, coastal areas face compounding threats. International risk assessments classify Baja California Sur’s coastal flood hazard as high, with potentially damaging waves expected to flood coastal areas at least once in the next 10 years. Flash flooding in dry arroyos poses particular danger because these channels rarely carry water outside of storm events, catching residents off guard.
More Than 160 Emergency Shelters Available
Authorities confirmed that Baja California Sur maintains more than 160 temporary shelters capable of housing displaced residents for days or weeks. These shelters are distributed across the state’s municipalities and are activated during tropical storm and hurricane events.
The 2025 hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Residents in all five municipalities should identify their nearest shelter and understand their local risk level before storms arrive. Hurricane Norma in 2023 and the remnants of Hurricane Priscilla in 2025 both caused significant flooding across the southern peninsula, reinforcing the urgency of the new risk classifications.
This report was first published by BCS Noticias.