At least 7 dead after Tropical Storm Lidia hits Mexico’s Baja

Tropical Storm Lidia’s death toll rose to at least seven people, including two children, as the storm doused various states in Mexico with heavy rain on Saturday and left a severe trail of damage in the Baja California peninsula, authorities said.

The victims were either electrocuted or drowned while trying to cross streams, according to a report from the prosecutor’s office in the state of Baja California Sur, home to the tourist area Los Cabos, that was cited by local media.

The storm, which continued to churn through various states, particularly in Western Mexico, also cut off power and damaged homes and roads in Baja California Sur, where some 3,000 people were taken to shelter.

Authorities have said the death toll could rise over the weekend as emergency crews surveyed the damage in villages with ramshackle homes.

Baja California Sur Gov. Carlos Mendoza reported that Lidia had dumped about 27 inches of rain, “the largest amount of water we have had since 1933.”

State Tourism Secretary Luis Genaro Ruiz said about 20,000 foreign tourists were stranded after airlines suspended flights to the area.

About 1,400 people had sought refuge at storm shelters as the storm flooded streets and stranded tourists.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said some of the storm’s tropical moisture would affect the U.S. desert Southwest over the Labor Day weekend, including parts of western Arizona, southern California and southern Nevada, in the form of scattered showers and thunderstorms.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.