The mayor of Río Mayo, Gustavo Loyaute, spoke with FM EL CHUBUT about the intense snowfalls that affect the south of the province and that are expected to continue for 24 more hours.
“The panorama is very complex. With the fall of snow came the wind. This caused many voladores (accumulation of snow caused by the wind) with records of up to a meter of snow. It has been a long time since we had this snowfall,” he told Martín Busi for The Last Word.
Regarding the inconveniences caused by the weather conditions, the municipal leader explained that they caused roadblocks and that “there are people who passed or want to pass along the roads and are stranded.”
“This causes the different forces or Highways to have to go look for them and the truth is that they are in a lot of danger. People are not aware.”
Loyaute added that they had to assist people in the Tamarisco area, where a couple of vehicles were trapped by the snow. “A lot of work is being done to clear the roads, but the wind covers them again after 40 minutes,” he said.
Another problem that snow generates in the town is that, when it accumulates on the roofs of homes, it freezes and the heat from the home causes leaks in the sheets.
FIELD
Río Mayo is known for its sheep farming and there is concern that the storm will cause serious damage to production. Loyaute declared that “snow, in small quantities, is good for improving the fields. We come from many years of drought.”
“What could harm the animals is the cold. We have a forecast of -10 degrees for the weekend so, for ranchers, the situation is complex. There are places where 80 cm of snow fell. In the area we have 60% fewer animals than 30 years ago.
The current situation in the livestock activity of Río Mayo is worsening after the closure of several fields. “We have had 10 or 12 years where the countryside has not finished developing. There are many foxes and pumas that make the sector difficult,” added the mayor.
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