Chile is facing the consequences of the largest rainfall episode since 1993. The amount of precipitation at the weather station in Maule was almost 800 mm in just 72 hours. Rain in extraordinary amounts caused by atmospheric flow leaves people dead and missing.
CARABINEROS DE CHILE
Chilean authorities on Saturday declared a disaster zone in several regions of the country, from Valparaíso to Biobío, as problems were registered in central and southern Chile due to the incessant rains caused by the crossing of a frontal system and the action of a storm atmospheric flow .
Home and Public Safety Minister Carolina Tohá stressed that the government had declared a disaster zone “due to the whole scenario that we have and also the concerns of the authorities”.
“It was decided to enact the Disaster Zone Ordinance in all affected regions, from Valparaíso to Biobío. This makes it possible that once the planned emergency resources are depleted, additional resources can be deployed,” said the head of the Chilean ministry.
The heavy rains caused the Mapocho and Maipo rivers, which rise in the Andes and cross the Chilean capital of Santiago, to burst their banks. Other rivers that cross the central zone of Chile have also burst their banks, such as the Cachapoal, the Tinguiririca and the Teno.
According to the presidential delegate of the Santiago metropolitan area, Constanza Martínez, it was “a very heavy rain and very little time” that followed a structural drought, she said. He added that in some areas of the mountains it has been the heaviest rainfall since 1993.
The government released a new tally on Sunday, reporting two dead, six missing and nearly eight thousand isolated. There are 7,977 isolated people and 3,383 homeless. Regarding housing construction, the government stressed that 1,951 were slightly damaged, 751 were badly damaged and 54 were totaled.
CARABINEROS DE CHILE
Images captured from the air and broadcast on local television in cities like Coltauco and Licantén show the magnitude of the crisis. In the first case, in the O’Higgins region and 120 kilometers south of Santiago, the estuary of the Cachapoal River flooded 80% of the city, leaving 200 people isolated. In Licantén, Maule region and 210 kilometers from the capital, 700 people were isolated and almost all their buildings, including their hospital, were flooded due to the flooding of the Mataquito River.
The overflowing of the rivers caused disruptions on some of the most important highways, such as the one that connects the country from north to south and the one that runs from Santiago to the city and port of Valparaíso. In addition, railway bridges were damaged by the force of the rivers.
Some regions hit by the floods were hit by massive wildfires last summer that destroyed 439,000 hectares and claimed 26 lives. The heavy rains that began on Thursday were concentrated for a few hours, mainly in the mountain range and foothills of the Andes, where it usually snows. This led to severe hill erosion and a rapid increase in river flows.
CARABINEROS DE CHILE
CARABINEROS DE CHILE
CARABINEROS DE CHILE
CARABINEROS DE CHILE
CARABINEROS DE CHILE
CARABINEROS DE CHILE
According to data from meteorological stations, the regions from Maule to Biobío recorded the highest rainfall. According to Meteorologia de Chile, accumulations of over 500 mm occurred near the Andes.
In Maule, the Rio Claro station, located at an altitude of 550 meters, almost at the confluence with the Maule River, recorded almost 600 mm of rain. Another station in Bullileo added 772 mm in 72 hours to 3 p.m. Sunday.
The heavy rainfall and snowfall between Chile and Argentina is due to a highintensity atmospheric flow that originates in the Pacific and transports enormous amounts of moisture to the Andes. Since the isotherm is high, that is, the temperature at high altitude reaches only 0 °C, precipitation falls as rain and in excessive amounts in many places where precipitation should come in the form of snow.
CONICET
Atmospheric fluxes are long, concentrated regions of the atmosphere that carry humid air from the tropics to higher latitudes. Depending on the region of the world, humid air combined with high wind speeds leads to heavy rain and snow.
These extreme precipitation events can cause flash floods, landslides, and catastrophic damage to life and property. Although atmospheric flows come in many shapes and sizes, those that contain the greatest amounts of water vapor can result in extreme rainfall and flooding, often terminating over watersheds that are prone to flooding.
Such events can cause road delays, trigger landslides, and cause catastrophic damage to life and property. A wellknown example of an atmospheric flow is the “Pineapple Express,” a powerful atmospheric flow that can transport moisture from the tropics near Hawaii to the west coast of the United States.