Baja California Sur publishes protocol to search for missing people after hurricanes and disasters
Published in Official Bulletin No. 37, the document coordinates the Search Commission, prosecutors, Civil Protection, the armed forces and police.
Baja California Sur now has a Search Protocol for Natural Disasters, published in issue No. 37 of the state's Official Bulletin (Boletín Oficial). The state government announced it on October 6, 2026, days after Hurricane Rachel passed near the southern tip of the peninsula.
The protocol sets out how the State Commission for the Search of Persons, the specialized prosecutor's office, Civil Protection, the armed forces and public security agencies must coordinate when someone goes missing during a tropical cyclone, flood or other natural event.
What it establishes
According to the state government, the goal is to unify criteria, reduce risks and speed up response times while avoiding duplicated efforts. The document includes prevention and response measures, training and deployment of search brigades, civil protection awareness campaigns and drills.
Lizeth Collins Collins, head of the State Search Commission, said the protocol fulfills a strategic goal of the 2021–2027 State Development Plan. She said it strengthens the state's capacity to handle these cases and to support families, with full respect for human rights.
Why it matters in BCS
The protocol arrives in the middle of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season, which runs through November 30. On October 1, the State Civil Protection Council suspended classes at all levels in Los Cabos as Category 1 Hurricane Rachel approached, with sustained winds of 140 km/h (87 mph), gusts up to 170 km/h and 50–75 mm of rain forecast for the south of the state.
Classes resumed Monday, October 5, once the council deemed conditions adequate and safe. On September 30, the La Paz city government marked 50 years since the deaths caused by Hurricane Liza in 1976, a reminder of what is at stake when an arroyo overflows.
What to do in a storm
- Follow only official state and municipal Civil Protection channels, as the State Council has urged.
- Know ahead of time where the nearest temporary shelter (refugio temporal) is, and never cross a running arroyo on foot or by car.
- If a relative goes missing after an emergency, report it immediately to 911 and to the State Search Commission; there is no need to wait 72 hours.
Related
The city continues its preventive operation in Cabo San Lucas and urges residents not to cross arroyos or runoff channels on foot or by car.
Two shelters are in San José del Cabo and two in Cabo San Lucas. Families near the Salto Seco and Aguajito arroyos and in the Santa Rosa and El Zacatal neighborhoods are covered by the evacuation plan.
Firefighters from La Ribera's Station 5 pulled both people from the current during Hurricane Rachel's rains; they were checked on scene and reported stable.
The State Civil Protection Council extended the closure one more day for all grade levels and shifts; 75 to 150 mm of rain and waves up to 6 meters are expected.