7,500 evacuated after rains and floods in Argentina – Liberation
More than 7,500 people have been evacuated since Friday, May 16, in various cities in the province of Buenos Aires, in northern Argentina, after floods caused by intense rains in recent days, the provincial authorities said this Saturday. The almost inferructed rains, almost five times local normal in May, overwhelmed rivers and ditches, cutting half a dozen road axes and submerging fields in this pampa area (plain) without relief. They also flooded streets in the big suburbs of Buenos Aires.
The latest official bulletin in the province, published on Saturday evening, reported more than 3,100 people « Hosted in evacuation centers », In addition to 4,400 other people rescued from flooded areas « Or who have voluntarily left their homes in various municipalities ». “This event is absolutely extraordinary, it’s the climate, it changes; This is called climate change« , said Governor Axel Kicillof to the Crónica TV channel.
The provincial government has announced that it has deployed some 300 agents between firefighters, civil protection and police, with the support of boats, pneumatic boats and kayaks. Javier Alonso, Minister of Security of the province, said at a joint press conference with the governor that « More than 400 millimeters fell during these three days » and that he was going « Continue to rain ». He also asked the population of « Stay at home », Because a cold front « With a lot of wind » is expected as the storm moves to the neighboring region of between Ríos.
Both the national and provincial government have launched emergency operations, sending the most affected localities of emergency brigades, technical teams, rescue vehicles and supplies for refugees, such as mattresses, covers, dry clothes, water and food. However, some places remained inaccessible. Among the highway coupes is the national road 9, one of the most important in Argentina, which connects the capital to the Bolivian border and passes through Zárate and Campana, where several trucks and at least four buses remained blocked.
In the cities of Campana and Zarate, 80 and 90 km north of Buenos Aires, the rain, almost inquesting since Friday morning, was due after a brief respite to return to intensity on Saturday, according to weather forecasts. « We had a total of 425 mm in recent 24 hours, it’s madness, we had never seen that », with areas where water is « Above the shoulders », Emiliano Riberas, emergency coordinator in Zarate, told AFP.
In Campana, several families had to spend part of the night on their roof pending help, to escape their flooded house. The volume of precipitation since Friday has exceeded Those listed in early March in Bahia Blanca (600 km south of Buenos Aires), where torrential rains and floods left 18 dead, said provincial security minister Javier Alonso. According to the meteorologist Cindy Fernandez, the standard in May in this part of the country is located “Around 70, 80 mm of water for the whole month. There, it has quintuplely « .
