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Chile repairs storm damage in the center-south as rains advance north
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Disasters & Emergencies

Chile repairs storm damage in the center-south as rains advance north

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Central and southern Chile are working to repair damage from an intense storm that has moved north, causing four deaths and widespread destruction.
  • Thousands have been evacuated, over 800 sheltered, and nearly a thousand isolated due to rising rivers, with over 5,500 homes damaged.
  • Authorities are concerned about Chile's structural capacity to handle such extreme weather events, with over 350,000 homes left without power.

Chile's central and southern regions are grappling with the aftermath of a severe storm, working to repair extensive damage as the weather system advances northward. The intense rainfall has already claimed four lives and prompted widespread evacuations and significant property destruction.

The Metropolitan Region - to which Santiago belongs - resisted relatively well. We did very responsible work in the camps. I want to thank those mayors who understood the importance of acting on time.

— Germán CodinaCommenting on the relative resilience of the Santiago region and the effectiveness of early action.

According to the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response (Senapred), the storm has led to the evacuation of thousands of people, primarily from the outskirts of the capital and the Valparaíso region. Over 800 individuals are currently being sheltered, while nearly a thousand are isolated due to swollen rivers and streams. The damage to infrastructure is substantial, with over 5,500 homes reported damaged.

Extraordinary phenomena like this storm, with more than 200 millimeters of water that fell practically in one day, highlight the structural problems that Chile has.

— Rodrigo MundacaExpressing concern about Chile's infrastructure's inability to cope with extreme weather.

In the Manuel Bustos neighborhood of Viña del Mar, residents were seen Saturday clearing mud and water from their homes and debris from pathways. María Tapia Díaz, president of the local neighborhood association, described the storm's unexpected ferocity. "We knew a storm was coming, but we didn't imagine it would be of this magnitude. We have many people who have suffered landslides, roofs that were torn off," she told EFE. The community, which was also heavily impacted by devastating fires in 2024, is now focused on urgent repairs, particularly to roofs, to withstand the remainder of the winter.

Today, we are a state that does not have the muscle or sufficient capacity to guarantee basic services to people in circumstances of meteorological difficulty like the one we are experiencing.

— Rodrigo MundacaCritiquing the state's preparedness and response capabilities for severe weather events.

The governor of the Valparaíso region, Rodrigo Mundaca, lamented that "extraordinary phenomena like this storm, with more than 200 millimeters of water falling in practically one day, highlight the structural problems that Chile has." He added that the country currently lacks the necessary capacity to guarantee basic services to its citizens during such meteorological difficulties. As of Saturday midday, more than 350,000 homes remained without electricity, predominantly in the Valparaíso region.

We knew that a storm was coming, but we didn't imagine it would be of this magnitude. We have many people who have suffered landslides, roofs that were torn off.

— María Tapia DíazDescribing the unexpected severity of the storm and its impact on the community.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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