Devastating downpour, caused by high ocean temperatures, could not have been predicted, president said, months after state of emergency declared for wildfires

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Sixty-seven people have been killed and thousands more forced to evacuate by intense rains which damaged 115,000 homes and destroyed more than 100 bridges in Peru’s worst floods in recent memory.



“We are confronting a serious climatic problem,” said Peru’s president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, in a broadcast to the nation on Friday afternoon. “There hasn’t been an incident of this strength along the coast of Peru since 1998.”

The disaster – which came after a period of severe drought – has been blamed on abnormally high temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, and fuelled criticism that the country is ill-prepared for the growing challenges of climate change.

Over the past three days, the downpour has burst river banks, created mudslides, collapsed bridges, closed roads and forced school suspensions in swaths of the west and north of the country.



Rains continued to lash the northern Piura region where streets remained flooded in the regional capital and homes had been washed away in poorer neighbourhoods.

By Thursday night, the floodwaters had subsided in the city’s La Primavera slum, but the floor of Shirley Moran’s home was a sea of dried mud and half-buried children’s toys.

“The water came up to our knees, the only thing we could do was run for our lives and to try and keep calm,” said Moran in the battered home she shared with five siblings.

Even the capital city, Lima, where a desert climate means that rain is rare, was lashed by a downpour which flooded outlying neighbourhoods.

With temperatures still high, the meteorological agency expects the rain front to move inland and south over the coming days and has issued a highest-level weather warning for the Amazon part of the Cusco, Ucayali and Huánuco regions.

It is not the first time this year that Peru has been affected. Two months ago, tourists in Machu Picchu were stranded by mudslides and had to be airlifted.

The prime minister, Fernando Zavala, said 176 districts had already declared emergencies.

Abraham Levy, a Peruvian meteorologist, said the weather conditions were “extremely unusual” and the storms and flooding were caused by the “atypical” warming of sea surface temperatures off Peru’s northern coast by five to six degrees to 29C.

He described the phenomenon as a “coastal El Niño”. The last time this was seen was nearly a century ago in 1925.

“We’ve had these kinds of El Niños as long as we have historical data, so it’s very difficult to link climate change or even global warming to these events,” he said.

Other scientists say a global trend of rising sea temperatures was likely to have contributed to the recent storms.

Peru declares state of emergency over deadly forest fires Read more

In November Peru declared a state of emergency when wildfires tore through drought-stricken areas burning nearly 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) of land.

“We’ve rarely seen this kind of rapid and quick change in climatic conditions,” Juber Ruiz, from Peru’s civil defense institute, told Reuters.

Scientists accused Peruvian authorities of ignoring a warning to countries in the region that there was a severe risk of drought, and opposition politicians have accused the government of failing to respond adequately to forecasts of increasingly frequent extreme weather events.

“We know the ‘coastal El Niño’ comes from time to time. We know we are a country that is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change. We should have prepared ourselves better,” said the leader of the New Peru movement, Verónika Mendoza, earlier this week.

The frustrations of those affected were evident in Tambogrande, Piura, where dozens called for help as the country’s education minister, Marilú Martens, briefly visited the town by helicopter.



“We are dealing with this emergency in the short term, but of course we need long-term strategies to avoid these situations so the people are not continually suffering in these emergencies,” Martens told the Guardian. She said the government has set aside $800m Peruvian soles for Peru’s hard-hit north and would implement programmes to prevent the spread of diseases such as dengue, which is spread by mosquitoes which breed in stagnant water.

A spokesman for the Peruvian ministry of environment said it was premature to attribute the floods to climate change though there are studies which suggest the El Niño phenomenon will become more frequent as a result of global warming.

“It is a duty of our government and society to work in order to reduce risk of vulnerability,” said Dimitri Gutiérrez. “Part of this work should be investing more for urban and territorial use planning.”</s>A sudden and abnormal warming of Pacific waters off Peru has unleashed the deadliest downpours in decades, with landslides and raging rivers sweeping away people, clogging highways and destroying crops in a potential sign of a global El Nino pattern this year.

At least 67 people have died and more than 70,000 have become homeless as Peru's rainy season has delivered 10 times as much rainfall than usual, authorities said Friday.

About half of Peru has been declared in emergency to expedite resources to the hardest hit areas, mostly in the north where rainfall has broken records in several districts, said Prime Minister Fernando Zavala.

Peru is bracing itself for another month of flooding.

A local El Nino phenomenon, the warming of surface sea temperatures in the Pacific, will likely continue along Peru's northern coast at least through April, said Dimitri Gutierrez, a scientist with Peru's El Nino committee.

Local El Ninos in Peru tend to be followed by the global El Nino phenomenon, which can trigger flooding and droughts in different countries, said Gutierrez.

The U.S. weather agency has put the chances of an El Nino developing in the second half of 2017 at 50-55 per cent.

While precipitation in Peru has not exceeded the powerful El Nino of 1998, more rain is falling in shorter periods of time - rapidly filling streets and rivers, said Jorge Chavez, a general tasked with coordinating the government's response.

"We've never seen anything like this before," said Chavez. "From one moment to the next, sea temperatures rose and winds that keep precipitation from reaching land subsided."

Some scientists have said climate change will make El Ninos more frequent and intense.

In Peru, apocalyptic scenes recorded on cellphones and shared on social media have broadened the sense of chaos.

A woman caked in mud pulled herself from under a debris-filled river earlier this week after a mudslide rushed through a valley where she was tending to crops.

Bridges have collapsed as rivers have breached their banks, and cows and pigs have turned up on beaches after being carried away by rivers.

"There's no need to panic, the government knows what it's doing," President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said in a televized event, urging people to stay clear of rivers.

In Lima, the capital, classes have been suspended and running water has been restricted after treatment systems were clogged - prompting a rush on bottled water that produced shortages at some supermarkets.

The vast majority of people affected by the extreme weather are poor, including many who built makeshift homes on floodplains that had been dry for 20 years, said Chavez.
• At least a dozen die in new round of flooding in Peru

"There's no electricity, no drinking water...no transit because streets are flooded," said Valentin Fernandez, mayor of the town Nuevo Chimbote.

Chavez said Peru must rethink its infrastructure to prepare for the potential "tropicalization" of the northern desert coast, which some climate models have forecast as temperatures rise.

"We need more and better bridges, we need highways and cities with drainage systems," said Chavez. "We can't count on nature being predictable."</s>LIMA, Peru — The number of people killed in Peru following intense rains and mudslides wreaking havoc around the Andean nation climbed to 67 Friday, with thousands more displaced from destroyed homes and others waiting on rooftops for rescue.

Across the country overflowing rivers caused by El Nino rains damaged 115,000 homes, collapsed 117 bridges and paralyzed countless roadways.

“We are confronting a serious climatic problem,” President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said in a statement broadcast live Friday afternoon. “There hasn’t been an incident of this strength along the coast of Peru since 1998.”

The highly unusual rains follow a series of storms that have struck especially hard along Peru’s northern coast, with voracious waters inundating hospitals and cemeteries, and leaving some small villages entirely isolated. On Thursday, the National Police rescued eight people who had been trapped for three days in Cachipampa and removed the body of an 88-year-old man killed in the floods. In the highlands along the department of La Libertad, dramatic video showed crashing water inundating several buses and trucks, killing at least five people. Rescuers were searching Friday for survivors.

Even Peru’s capital city of Lima, where a desert climate seldom leads to rain, police had to help hundreds of residents in an outskirt neighbourhood cross a flooded road by sending them one-by-one along a rope through choppy waters. The muddy current channeled down the street after a major river overflowed. Some residents left their homes with just a single plastic bag carrying their belongings.

In total, more than 65,000 people in nearby Huachipa were unable to either go to work or return to their properties.

“There’s no way to cross,” said Henry Obando, who was rescued after leaving the factory where he works and making his way toward a rooftop where officers created a zip-line to cross. “Many people are trying to get to their homes.”

The storms are being caused by a warms of the surface waters in the Pacific Ocean and are expected to continue for another two weeks. Kuczynski declared Peru’s Central Highway in a state of emergency Friday and announced he would be boosting funds for reconstruction. He said he was optimistic the country was in a strong position to make a swift recovery but urged residents to use caution.

“This hasn’t ended,” he warned. “And it will continue for some time more.”

In 1998, another El Nino event brought heavy rainfall to the nation’s coast, causing landslides, ripping apart homes and leaving hundreds dead.

On Friday, drinking water was cut off throughout most of Lima, spiking the price for bottled water and creating long lines at city tanks. U.S. Embassy helicopters typically used to eradicate coca crops in the Amazon were redirected to help in rescue efforts.

“People are desperate,” said Doris Meza, who lives in one of the Lima districts most heavily inundated by the floods. “Water is entering everyone’s homes. There aren’t cars and drivers are charging whatever they want.”</s>LIMA, Peru (AP) — The number of people killed in Peru following intense rains and mudslides wreaking havoc around the Andean nation climbed to 67 Friday, with thousands more displaced from destroyed homes and others waiting on rooftops for rescue.

Across the country overflowing rivers caused by El Nino rains damaged 115,000 homes, collapsed 117 bridges and paralyzed countless roadways.

“We are confronting a serious climatic problem,” President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said in a statement broadcast live Friday afternoon. “There hasn’t been an incident of this strength along the coast of Peru since 1998.”

The highly unusual rains follow a series of storms that have struck especially hard along Peru’s northern coast, with voracious waters inundating hospitals and cemeteries, and leaving some small villages entirely isolated. On Thursday, the National Police rescued eight people who had been trapped for three days in Cachipampa and removed the body of an 88-year-old man killed in the floods. In the highlands along the department of La Libertad, dramatic video showed crashing water inundating several buses and trucks, killing at least five people. Rescuers were searching Friday for survivors.

Even Peru’s capital city of Lima, where a desert climate seldom leads to rain, police had to help hundreds of residents in an outskirt neighborhood cross a flooded road by sending them one-by-one along a rope. The muddy water channeled down the street after a major river overflowed. Some residents left their homes with just a single plastic bag carrying their belongings.

In total, more than 65,000 people in nearby Huachipa were unable to either go to work or return to their properties.

“There’s no way to cross,” said Henry Obando, who was rescued after leaving the factory where he works and making his way toward a rooftop where officers created a zip-line to cross. “Many people are trying to get to their homes.”

The storms are being caused by a warms of the surface waters in the Pacific Ocean and are expected to continue for another two weeks. Kuczynski declared Peru’s Central Highway in a state of emergency Friday and announced he would be boosting funds for reconstruction. He said he was optimistic the country was in a strong position to make a swift recovery but urged resident to use caution.

“This hasn’t ended,” he warned. “And it will continue for some time more.”

In 1998, another El Nino event brought heavy rainfall to the nation’s coast, causing landslides, ripping apart homes and leaving hundreds dead.

Associated Press writer Christine Armario in Bogota, Colombia, contributed to this report.</s>LIMA, PERU—The number of people killed in Peru following intense rains and mudslides wreaking havoc around the Andean nation climbed to 67 Friday, with thousands more displaced from destroyed homes and others waiting on rooftops for rescue.

Across the country overflowing rivers caused by El Nino rains damaged 115,000 homes, collapsed 117 bridges and paralyzed countless roadways.

“We are confronting a serious climatic problem,” President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said in a statement broadcast live Friday afternoon. “There hasn’t been an incident of this strength along the coast of Peru since 1998.”

The highly unusual rains follow a series of storms that have struck especially hard along Peru’s northern coast, with voracious waters inundating hospitals and cemeteries, and leaving some small villages entirely isolated. On Thursday, the National Police rescued eight people who had been trapped for three days in Cachapampa and removed the body of an 88-year-old man killed in the floods. In the highlands of La Libertad, dramatic video showed crashing water inundating several buses and trucks, killing at least five people. Rescuers were searching survivors Friday.

Even in Peru’s capital city of Lima, where a desert climate seldom leads to rain, police had to help hundreds of residents in an outskirt neighbourhood cross a flooded road by sending them one-by-one along a rope. The muddy water channelled down the street after a major river overflowed. Some residents left their homes with just a single plastic bag carrying their belongings.</s>People and pets had to be rescued from flooding in and around Lima, Peru after intense rain devastated the area.</s>A new round of unusually heavy rains has killed at least a dozen people in Peru and now threatens flooding in the capital.

The new floods and mudslides over the past three days follow a series of other storms and officials say that a total of 62 people have died and 12,000 homes have been destroyed so far this year.

Authorities said Thursday they expect the intense rains caused by the warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean to continue another two weeks.</s>Yet another period of heavy rain has caused major flooding and landslides in several areas of Peru over the last few days.Sadly the recent flooding is nothing new for many communities. The country has been experiencing periods ofLocal observers are calling the unusual climatic conditions "El Niño Costero" and are blaming the heavy rainfall on higher temperatures of the eastern Pacific Ocean waters. Further rainfall is forecast and authorities are bracing themselves for two more weeks of heavy rain, potential flooding and landslides.On Tuesday 14 March, the rivers Rimac, Huaycoloro and Huaicos all overflowed in different points of the capital affecting Chaclacayo, Lurigancho-Chosica, El Augistino and Punta Hermosa. A bridge dramatically collapsed in Talavera, San Juan de Lurigancho, Lima Province.Elsewhere in in Lima region the Supe river overflowed, inundating nearby areas in Ambar District. Authorities report that Mala, Chilca and Cañete have also been affected by flooding.Further flooding has also affected northern areas of the country over the last few days.The Peruvian Army rescued a group of people trapped by flooding as a result of heavy rains throughout Peru's northern Lambayeque region over the past days.In La Libertad, flooding has been reported near Trujillo.Government Ministers have been sent out to assess flood damage in affected areas, including in Callao region, as well as Lima and parts of the north.The President of Peru called on citizens to be cautious and not taking risks like crossing flooded roads or weakened bridges.Schools have been closed in several regions affected by the heavy rainfall, according to Peru's Ministry of Education.Figures below according to Peru's meteorological agency, El Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología del Perú (SENAMHI), for a 24 hour period.Lambayeque, Jayanca - 94.8 mmCajamarca, Asunción - 55 mmLambayeque, Cayalti - 51.3 mmLima, Canta - 22.4 mmPasco, Pozuzo - 61.5 mmHuánuco, Tingo María - 54.9 mmTumbes, Papayal - 52.2 mmAmazonas, Chiriaco - 49.2 mmPiura, Ayabaca - 45.8 mmPiura, Chusis - 51.3 mmMoquegua, Puquina - 32 mmLambayeque, Reque - 29.8 mmLambayeque, Oyotun - 51.4 mmPiura, Huarmaca - 50.4 mmAccording to a report of 16 March by Centro de Operaciones de Emergencia Nacional (COEN),In Lima Region there were 8 rivers on alert: Chancay-Huaral (yellow level alert), Rímac and Cañete (orange level), Santa Eulalia, Mala, Huaura, Lurín and Chancay (red level).Although still on orange alert, flows of the Rímac river at Chosica, Lima, appeared to easing. On 16 March SENAMHI recorded a flow of 88.12 m3 / s, down from the previous day's measurement of 92.62 m3 / s.Elsewhere, the Virú and La Leche rivers were on yellow alert and the Jequetepeque and Tumbes orange level alert.</s>The intense rains, overflowing rivers, mudslides and flooding being experienced in the country are the worst seen in in two decades, Peruvian authorities said Saturday, affecting more than half the nation as the death toll since the beginning of the year hits 72.Prime Minister Fernando Zavala on Saturday updated the number of dead to 72 in comments to local radio station RPP.The government says 374 people were killed in 1998 during a similar period of massive rains and flooding caused by rains blamed on the El Nino climate pattern.The rains have overwhelmed the drainage system in the cities along Peru's Pacific coast and the health ministry has started fumigating around the pools of water that have formed in the streets to kill mosquitoes that carry diseases like dengue.Lima has been without water service since the beginning of the week. The government has deployed the armed forces to help police control public order in the 811 cities that have declared an emergency."The prices for lemons have gone up, as well as for potatoes and cooking oil," said Sara Arevalo, a mother of five who was shopping at a market in northern Lima. The government has acknowledged that prices have shot up some 5 percent because of the flooding.The highly unusual rains follow a series of storms that have struck especially hard along Peru's northern coast, with voracious waters inundating hospitals and cemeteries, and leaving some small villages entirely isolated. The storms are being caused by a warming of the surface waters in the Pacific Ocean and are expected to continue for another two weeks.Even Peru's capital city of Lima, where a desert climate seldom leads to rain, police on Friday had to help hundreds of residents in an outskirt neighborhood cross a flooded road by sending them one-by-one along a rope through choppy waters. The muddy current channeled down the street after a major river overflowed. Some residents left their homes with just a single plastic bag carrying their belongings.</s>LIMA, Peru (AP) - A new round of unusually heavy rains has killed at least a dozen people in Peru and now threatens flooding in the capital.

The new floods and mudslides over the past three days follow a series of other storms and officials say that a total of 62 people have died and 12,000 homes have been destroyed so far this year.

Authorities said Thursday they expect the intense rains caused by the warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean to continue another two weeks.

Schools nationwide are suspending classes and in the capital of Lima, the swelling Huaycoloro river swept away two trucks and threatens to destroy a bridge.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said late Wednesday that authorities are prepared to provide shelter and relief to those left homeless.
Heavy flooding in Peru kills at least 67 people and forces thousands to abandon their homes.