Torrential rains drenched Chile’s capital and the surrounding region on Thursday, triggering mudslides that swept cars through streets, flooded homes, and forced residents to evacuate. Authorities reported that at least six people were injured, including a 1-year-old child who suffered broken bones. Firefighters stated they have rescued or evacuated more than 1,000 people as the downpours turned key roads into impassable waterways.
President José Antonio Kast declared a state of emergency for Las Condes, a wealthy suburb east of Santiago, granting government agencies additional power to respond to the crisis. Catalina San Martín, the district's mayor, reported that 14.4 centimeters (5.7 inches) of rain had fallen in recent days—approximately nine times the average October rainfall—leaving the area “totally saturated.”
The Mapocho River, which runs through Santiago, overflowed its banks, leading to official evacuation orders. Chile’s disaster-response agency has placed 10 other districts on high alert for further landslides and mandated that schools remain closed on Friday. Earlier this week, rain storms had already damaged a few dozen homes across central Chile and left nearly 12,000 customers in Santiago without power, according to officials. While the downpours are expected to ease on Friday, no deaths were reported on Thursday.
The flooding coincides with a powerful El Niño event currently gaining strength. This naturally recurring warming of tropical Pacific waters disrupts global rainfall patterns and often results in wetter springs for the Southern Hemisphere. The World Meteorological Organization stated on Thursday that this year’s El Niño is expected to peak in December and could be among the most intense since at least 1950.
