The Mexican government announced Friday it will pay 10 million pesos (750,000 U.S. dollars) to those who lost their homes due to the flood, which ocurred earlier this week in central parts of the country.

"Ten million pesos has been transferred to the government of the State of Mexico, which will will take charge of repairing homes hit by last Sunday's storm," said a statement from Mexico's National Housing Commission.

On Monday, the central State of Mexico surrounding Mexico City saw two deaths after fierce rains triggered widespread flood. More heavy rains are forecasted for Friday across the nation.

The government is also planning to help flood-hit business owners via the National Fund for Firms needing Solidarity (Fonaes) and to provide energy saving fridges to those who lost them in the flood via the Electrical Energy Savings Trust (FIDE).

Deputy Social Development Minister Sara Topelson said a new housing development model should be built in the flood-hit region.

Topelson said the sewage collectors were designed only for graywater and did not have the capacity to cope with the strong rain.

In sharp contrast to July's drought, strong rain in August and September, which was around 20 percent more than normal level, destroyed crops that would have produced up to 1.5 million tons of corn.

Mexican authorities have attributed the extreme weather to El Nino, a periodic change in the atmosphere and ocean of the tropical Pacific region.

(Xinhua News Agency September 12, 2009)