The fury of nature in the Atacama Desert
A powerful rainstorm has unleashed a major emergency across northern Chile, with the epicenter in the town of Tocopilla, located in the Antofagasta Region. In just a few hours, 30 millimeters (about 1.2 inches) of rain fell — a staggering amount for a place where the annual average is barely 5 millimeters. This sudden downpour activated dry riverbeds known locally as quebradas, triggering mudslides, landslides, and structural collapses that destroyed homes, roads, and vehicles in their path.
The official toll, according to Chile's National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred), stands at 1 person dead, 3 injured, 580 people directly affected, and 1,166 evacuated to temporary shelters. Additionally, 22 people remain isolated in remote areas, and hundreds of homes have suffered varying degrees of damage.
Tocopilla: the hardest-hit city
Tocopilla, a city of roughly 30,000 residents situated about 1,530 kilometers (950 miles) north of Chile's capital, Santiago, has been completely cut off since Tuesday. Mayor Ljubica Kurtovic described the situation as "a tragedy," explaining that the town's unique geography makes it especially vulnerable. "Tocopilla is a chain of ravines," she noted. The mudslide tore through urban neighborhoods, swept away cars and trucks, flooded 60% of all homes, and caused structural damage to the local hospital.
The emergency forced authorities to relocate 540 prison inmates from the Tocopilla Penitentiary Center to facilities in Antofagasta. Classes have been suspended across the Arica and Parinacota, Tarapacá, and Antofagasta regions, and 5 healthcare facilities remain out of service, with patients transferred to other centers.
Key numbers
- 1 fatality
- 3 injured
- 1,166 evacuated
- 580 directly affected
- 22 isolated
- 60% of homes affected in Tocopilla
- 540 inmates relocated
- 4,000+ customers without power
State of catastrophe and emergency response
Chilean President José Antonio Kast traveled to the affected zone early Wednesday and declared a constitutional state of catastrophe for the province of Tocopilla. "Due to the severe impacts of the storm, I have decided to deploy all available human and material resources to confront this emergency," he announced on his X social media account.
Undersecretary of the Interior Máximo Pavez linked the phenomenon to abnormal conditions from an intense El Niño, acknowledging that "the levels of rainfall make it impossible to avoid impacts." Authorities maintain a red alert for the Antofagasta Region, the province of Iquique, and the municipality of Huara.
Rescues and damage across the north
In the early morning hours, Carabineros (Chilean national police) with support from the Navy successfully rescued two people trapped in Iquique, including an elderly man around 80 years old. "It was a complex rescue, with heavy earth movement," explained General Adrián Andrades.
Across the Norte Grande region, traffic is suspended on stretches of highways 15-CH, 1, and 504, and the border crossings toward Jama and Sico remain closed. In the Norte Chico region, landslides were reported in Caldera, while the municipalities of Tierra Amarilla and Diego de Almagro are completely isolated.
The system may cross into Argentina
Dr. Jorge Carrasco, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Magallanes, explained that the rains were caused by a "cut-off low" — a cold air circulation in the mid-troposphere that behaves like "a spinning top of cold air that descends and interacts with warm, humid air."
The specialist anticipated that conditions would improve in Chile by Wednesday, but that the system would shift eastward into Argentina, potentially reactivating over Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. By Thursday, its influence is expected to reach southern Brazil and Uruguay.
The Chungará border crossing, which connects Chile with Bolivia, was closed preventively due to snow accumulation, leaving around 300 passengers stranded aboard ten international buses.
Context: Chile and climate change
Chile is considered one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change due to its dramatic geography, diverse ecosystems, and exposure to earthquakes, droughts, volcanic activity, floods, and glacier melt. This emergency comes as authorities strengthen monitoring systems ahead of a forecast "Super El Niño", whose greatest impact is expected between October and December, potentially lasting until March 2027.
Sources: La Nación, Infobae, Cadena 3, Mendoza Post, and Río Negro.