With maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, Hurricane Agatha is the strongest May hurricane to make landfall along Mexico’s Pacific coast since recording began in 1949. The Category-2 storm is the first of the Pacific hurricane season, hitting the beach town of Puerto Ángel first and then moving inland across the southern state of Oaxaca.
Winds, heavy rainfall, and mudslides left communities without water, power, or working communications. WCK supported areas cut off from resources by providing fresh meals and ingredients to people able to cook—including traveling by helicopter to hard to reach places in the mountains. At the same time, our team built connections with local restaurants to help us cook thousands of meals for displaced residents cleaning up following the flooding.
By the numbers
Hot Meals, Sandwiches, and Fruit Served
Pounds of Food Product Distributed
Recipient Communities
Hector
Hector
Hector is the manager of Savanna, a beachside restaurant in Puerto Escondido which closed for a week to divert its resources and staff to help us serve thousands of comforting meals to neighbors in need. “The moment we heard about WCK’s efforts, we were 100% on it. Sacrifices are necessary in these kinds of situations. You never know when you are going to be in a tough spot yourself. The hurricane was meant to hit us here in Puerto, but it moved at the last moment. It could have been us.”
Rejino
Rejino
With a team of 30 people, Rejino from La Punta restaurant was waking up at three in the morning to prepare 3,000 daily sandwiches for isolated mountain communities hard-hit by the hurricane. “It’s important that families have food right now to make things a little more calm. We feel an affinity with the people who have been hit by the hurricane, they are our compatriots, our family, our friends.”
Isha
Isha
Cooking tens of thousands of tacos for communities across Oaxaca, Savanna restaurant slow cooked pork for hours before mixing the meat with stewed black beans, onion, olive oil, and spices. To accompany the tacos, Chef Isha made batches of spicy salsa. 12 chilis make enough salsa for over 100 tacos.
Lily
Lily
Lily, on the right, and her neighbor stand outside their home after water had receded from Hurricane Agatha. First it was the strong winds that took part of her room, then an hour later the flood came. Inside Lily’s home, water reached up to her shoulders.
Angel
Angel
Angel stands in front of what was once part of his home in Piedras Negras. “The hurricane suddenly hit our house and many parts flew away. There is nothing anymore. The bedroom and kitchen are gone.”
Simplicia
Simplicia
In the small town of Piedras Negras, many are living in makeshift accommodations following the hurricane. Roads were damanged and there was no electricity. Simplicia said they were desperately short on food. “The first gust of the hurricane made my home fly away. The same happened to many places here. There is water but its contaminated.”
