Corrientes province mobilizes emergency response to El Niño flooding risk

Governor Juan Pablo Valdés activated inter‑institutional emergency committees that include Defense Civil, Health, Public Works and municipal authorities to prepare for extreme rains expected in the last quarter of the year. The province is focusing on clearing drainage channels, accelerating canalisation projects and reinforcing pump systems, especially in vulnerable towns such as Paso de la Patria, Riachuelo and Puerto Vilelas.

Defense Civil director Bruno Lovinson warned that the Uruguay River has already risen above historic alert levels and could reach up to 11 m, potentially forcing up to 1,500 evacuations in Paso de los Libres. He called for shared citizen responsibility to keep drainage infrastructure clean and highlighted an ongoing funding program of 210 million pesos for more than 60 volunteer fire stations.

Municipalities are monitoring river levels—Paraná in Puerto Vilelas and Uruguay in Corrientes capital—using drones and on‑site inspections. Coordination with provincial road and water agencies (Vialidad, APA) is underway to protect key rural access routes and wetlands. The province expects the most critical period to be September‑November, with clearer forecasts anticipated in August‑September.