▁Through out ▁Ch ia pas , ▁the ▁flo ods ▁dam aged ▁or ▁destroyed ▁ 4 0   brid ges , ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁damage ▁to ▁Mexican ▁Federal ▁Highway ▁ 2 0 0 ▁along ▁the ▁Pacific ▁coast ; ▁this ▁interrupted ▁travel ▁for ▁several ▁weeks . ▁About ▁ 1 6 , 0 0 0   h ouses ▁were ▁dam aged , ▁forcing ▁about ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0   people ▁in ▁government ▁sh el ters . ▁The ▁flo ods ▁affected ▁ ▁of ▁cro pl ands . ▁Over all , ▁damage ▁was ▁estimated ▁at ▁$ 6 3   mill ion ▁( 1 9 9 8   US D ), ▁representing ▁Mexico ' s ▁worst ▁natural ▁dis aster ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁Mexico ▁City ▁earth qu ake . ▁Al ong ▁Sierra ▁Mad re ▁de ▁Ch ia pas , ▁the ▁dis aster ▁was ▁considered ▁a ▁ 1 ▁in ▁ 5 0 ▁year ▁event . ▁There ▁were ▁at ▁least ▁ 2 2 9   de ath s , ▁although ▁a ▁government ▁report ▁on ▁the ▁flo oding ▁indicated ▁there ▁were ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 0   people ▁killed ▁or ▁missing . ▁After ▁the ▁storm , ▁the ▁Mexican ▁government ▁established ▁a ▁study ▁to ▁determine ▁the ▁cause ▁and ▁the ▁impact ▁of ▁the ▁flo oding . ▁ ▁Louisiana ▁Though ▁on ▁the ▁out sk ir ts ▁of ▁the ▁storm , ▁Trop ical ▁Storm ▁Frances ▁dropped ▁ ▁of ▁rain ▁across ▁south west ▁Louisiana , ▁and ▁over ▁ ▁of ▁ra inf all ▁near ▁New ▁Orleans , ▁Louisiana . ▁ ▁This