Massive Relief Effort is Underway to Help Victims of Mexican Floods

11/07/2007 (KFSN) -- Relentless rain last week left 80% of the state of Tabasco under water and about 500k homes have been damaged or destroyed.

More than a dozen people are missing after a mudslide buried an entire village.

Flood victims are getting help from an unusual source.

A Fresno pastry chef has turned her website on baking into part of a worldwide relief effort.

The Mexican government is of course taking the lead in the flood relief effort. The consulate in Fresno is helping channel donations to Tabasco.

A native of Tabasco and her husband who live in Fresno are also doing a lot to help and they've attracted international attention.

The flooding is one of the worst natural disasters to hit Mexico.

"We're talking about 1 million people affected and half a million people that have been left without their homes," said Selene Barcelo, Mexican Deputy Consul.

Hardest hit is the capitol of Tabasco, the city of Villahermosa.

It is where Sol Hernandez grew up.

"When I saw the news I feel sad. I feel angry. I don't feel any energy when I see all the people under the water. It's my people, and they need my help now," said Sol Hernandez.

But, what could she do? Sol Hernandez is a pastry chef. She has an internet blog where she talks about cooking and recipes. With the help of her husband Pablo Orozco, it became something more.

"We just turned this blog, which is a pastry and cupcake blog, into a relief effort," said Pablo Orozco.

The blog is loaded with news, pictures and personal accounts of the flooding.

The BBC did a story on it, and now donations are flooding in from around the world.

"But also the main thing was having a list of different websites where the blogging community can log on and click and put in their credit card information and make a donation that way," said Pablo.

The donations can be directed to any of a number of charities like the Red Cross and Save the Children.

In addition to helping everyone else, Sol and Pablo are doing what they can to help Sol's family. Her parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters are crowded into one house, along with all the neighbors whose homes were destroyed.

"The food they have now is going to last one week because they have 30 people in their house," said Sol.

The Mexican government says it will be weeks until the water subsides and will take months until life is anywhere near normal.

Until then, instead of cooking tips, this blog will offer ways to help.

Now the blog is called

Rootcoffee.blogspot.com

Donations can be made to charities through the site.

The Mexican government has also set up bank accounts accepting donations for the relief effort at Wells Fargo and Bancomer USA banks.

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