“The Biobío Region, especially the communes of Curanilahue and Arauco, are the ones that have suffered the most with the last frontal system. For this reason, from the first moment we are working with the different State agencies on the ground (…).”
With those words the President Gabriel Boric This Tuesday afternoon marked his visit to the Eighth Region where the rains just a week ago left 10,638 victims and 4,460 homes with some type of damage due to the overflowing of the main rivers in the communes of Curanilahue and Arauco, which caused flooding, isolation and destruction of homes and businesses that for decades were the family’s livelihood. And according to the latest report of the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred) this Sunday, Arauco recorded 5,166 affected people and 3,788 damaged homes, while Curanilahue, 3,003 victims and 2,000 homes with damage under evaluation.
Due to the above, the President assured that to date they have been delivered more than 1,774 recovery bonds in Biobío; in La Araucanía, 154, and in Ñuble, 205; and announced a series of emergency aid that will include, among its benefits, a contribution of the electronic pocket of up to 50 UF (more than $1,800,000) to repair the damage to the home, also depending on the impact it has had.
Although prior to the President’s arrival, the area was already preparing to face a new frontal system, which entered the national territory on Sunday and will generate rainfall until this Wednesday from the south of Coquimbo to La Araucanía, according to the Chilean Meteorological Directorate (DMC), added to a second event that would arrive between Thursday and Friday, although it is expected to be milder than those seen the previous week, with maximums of between 40 and 50 millimeters.
Until this Tuesday afternoon, the director(s) of Senapred, Alicia Cebrián reported 24 isolated people in the town of Liquiñe, in the Los Ríos Region. Likewise, the last report from the service reported 19 victims in O’Higgins and 493 nationwide: 34 in the RM, 115 in O’Higgins and 320 in Maule. And as for homes, 41 had some damage in O’Higgins, one was affected in Maule and 10 in Los Ríos.
Furthermore, according to the report of the Superintendence of Electricity and Fuel, until the closing of this edition, More than 40,000 clients were registered without electricity supply between Coquimbo and Los Ríos.
Biobío was also shaken early this Tuesday, when after 05:00 hours strong blizzards impacted the sector of Black Beach, in the city of Penco, causing trees to fall and destroy 26 homes. At first, Senapred spoke of a waterspout. However, hours later the Navy came out to clarify the phenomenon, explaining that it did not come from the sea, but from the land, so it would have been a tornado.
Due to the update of the red alert for weather event and the alert for “moderate to heavy rainfall in a short period of time” by the DMC that would affect the province of Arauco, The Seremi de Educación del Biobío announced the suspension of classes this Tuesday in the communes of Arauco and Curanilahue for all educational establishments, in all its departments and levels. In addition, public supporters requested the suspension of their educational facilities in the communes of Alto Biobío, Cañete, Concepción, Coronel, Chiguayante, Florida, Hualpén, Hualqui, Laja, Los Ángeles, Lota, Mulchén, Nacimiento, Negrete, Penco, Quilaco, Quilleco , San Rosendo, Santa Bárbara, Santa Juana, Tomé, Talcahuano and Yumbel.
Meanwhile, it was up to private and subsidized individuals to inform their communities if the class suspension measure was applied.
For his part, the National Geology and Mining Service (Sernageomin) warned that the possibility of landslides (debris flows) and collapses (slides, rock falls) is moderate in coastal areas, coastal mountain range, longitudinal valley and foothills; while it is low for the mountain range sectors.
In any case, he requested to evacuate some sectors of the O’Higgins Region due to activation of streams. Through SAE messaging, the inhabitants of Rosario Cerro, El Mirador, Codao Cerro and Las Canteras Cerroin the commune of Peuco, abandon their homes for safety.
And since the frontal system also brought a significant fall of water in the Metropolitan Region and that, for example, keeps sectors of Maipo Island isolated – in the last 24 hours about 10 millimeters were recorded, representing a surplus of 80% – , the DMC reported thunderstorms during the day, in addition to Valparaíso, O’Higgins and Maule.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Directorate reported that the intensity of the system is expected to arrive during the night of this Tuesday, where around 20 millimeters more could fall in the center of Santiago and up to about 35 millimeters towards the foothills sector. .
