El Niño’s other face in Sauces, the Guayaquil neighborhood that always floods

In Sauces, residents do not need forecasts to understand what a severe downpour can bring. Water can enter homes, cover vehicles and rise to waist level. In some cases, the neighborhood floods in less than 45 minutes.

Sauces is one of 40 critical flood points in Guayaquil. The northern neighborhood has nine stages, and its residents face heavy flooding year after year. Ecuador was declared under a red alert for El Niño a week ago, confirming that the event is already under way. The World Meteorological Organization forecasts that it could reach very strong intensity between the end of 2026 and February 2027.

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Sometimes the water reaches my navel.

Janeth Navarrete has lived in Sauces 6 for 37 years. She says the rains have always hit the area hard, especially around the main avenue. “Sometimes the water reaches my navel,” she said. During the latest heavy rain, water entered her living room. She has already lost household appliances, including a refrigerator whose motor was damaged after floodwater got inside.

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In the last downpour, water got into my living room. You have to keep watch so your things do not get damaged.

Navarrete also blames rubbish disposal. Residents who put out their garbage on the wrong days can leave bags exposed when the rain arrives, allowing waste to block the drains. She says people from other parts of Guayaquil sometimes drive to Sauces to dump rubbish, while people living on the streets open bags and scatter the contents across the roads.

Residents have developed their own precautions. Navarrete places plastic bags around her doors and uses roofing material to prevent leaks. During the rainy season, she buys enough food for the week because flooded streets can make it impossible to go out and shop.

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People are careless. They put out the garbage on whatever days they want, so when the rain comes, it gets out of the bags, blocks the drains and then we see the consequences.