Weeklong rainstorms in Chile blamed on El Nino kill at least 10 and trigger flash floods

SANTIAGO, Chile -- Weeklong rainstorms blamed on El Nino that have battered Chile have killed at least 10 people as authorities raced on Tuesday to reach more than 100,000 cut off by flash floods in what has been one of the country’s worst weather disasters in decades.

Torrential rains and strong winds continued to lash the usually arid northern regions of Atacama and Coquimbo, where the government of President José Antonio Kast declared a state of emergency on Monday.

Authorities said the storms have also injured 16 people and displaced over 4,000 others, with 1,031 staying in emergency shelters. Thousands more have been left without electricity or drinking water.

The rainfall has so far destroyed 81 homes and damaged more than 20,000. Chile’s national disaster response service, Senapred, has sent out hundreds of evacuation alerts to 10 out of the country's 16 regions.

Swollen rivers and flooded roads have stranded 104,271 people, Senapred reported, warning that overwhelmed rivers will remain a threat even when the rainfall eases.

“River levels do not necessarily rise at the same time precipitation is falling,” said Alicia Cebrián, the head of Senapred. “Water accumulates in the foothill areas, which means river levels can continue rising even hours after the storm system has passed.”

Meteorologists attribute the deluge in Chile to the return of El Nino, a powerful, naturally occurring phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean that drives temperatures higher and exacerbates extreme weather events. El Niño is typically associated with heavier rainfall in parts of southern South America.