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, according to authorities. At least six people were injured, including a 1-year-old child who sustained broken bones.
President José Antonio Kast declared a state of emergency for Las Condes, a wealthy suburb east of Santiago, granting government agencies increased power to respond as the downpours turned key roads into impassable waterways. Catalina San Martín, the district's mayor, stated 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 flows through Santiago, overflowed its banks, resulting in evacuation orders. Chile’s disaster-response agency has placed 10 other districts on high alert for further landslides and ordered schools to close 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. Firefighters reported that they have rescued or evacuated more than 1,000 people. No deaths were reported on Thursday, and the heavy downpours were expected to ease by Friday.
The flooding occurs as a powerful El Niño gains strength. This naturally recurring warming of tropical Pacific waters disrupts global rainfall patterns and frequently brings wetter springs to the Southern Hemisphere. The World Meteorological Organization noted 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.
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