Chile continues to suffer the effects of an extraordinary rain event, the largest since 1993 in some regions of the country, with people dead and missing. Floods engulf cities and displace thousands of people from their homes, blocking roads and causing landslides.
Presenting an updated assessment of the disaster today, Interior Minister Carolina Tohá announced the evacuation of 1,800 people from the city of Constitución as the Maule River threatens to overflow. According to the foreign minister, the decision is due to the rise in the river level.
Regarding the damage caused by the storm, the minister said that so far two people have died, six have gone missing, 9,814 are isolated and 2,054 are homeless. Likewise, there are 4,077 casualties, 2,502 homes with minor damage, 895 with major damage, and 54 homes with total destruction.
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 .
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.
The rainfall is breathtaking. The rainfall accumulated in four days reached 850 mm in the Embalse Bullileo station and 731 mm in Río Claro in Maule. Ñuble and Biobío recorded more than 500 mm at the Rio Diguillin and Embalse Pangue stations. Chilean meteorologist José Vicencio described the rain as “crazy”.
The heavy rains are 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.
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.