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South America prepares for El Niño flooding and extreme weather
South American nations are implementing widespread emergency and sanitary preparations to mitigate the impacts of the El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to bring intense rainfall and flooding.
In Argentina, the national government has activated a real-time monitoring system integrating satellite data to identify vulnerable areas, including over 5.4 million hectares potentially subject to flooding. The Ministry of Health is coordinating with the Federal Emergency Agency to deploy mobile health patrols and modular hospital units, such as the ERMEH field hospital. Provinces like Santa Fe are conducting technical training for health teams and have awarded contracts for cleaning 352 kilometers of main drainage channels to reduce flood risks. Other regions, including Entre Ríos, Chaco, and Mendoza, are reinforcing medical stocks—specifically anti-venom—and reinforcing river defenses and infrastructure.
In Uruguay, the department of Salto is preparing for a potential historic rise in the Uruguay River, with authorities projecting a high probability of flooding that could necessitate the evacuation of up to 1,000 people.
In Chile, heavy rains have already caused fatalities and damage across ten regions, prompting Senapred to issue alerts for residents to avoid ravines in areas like Copiapó due to the risk of flash floods and landslides.
Entities
Agustina García · Agustín Neme · Carlos Albisu · El Niño · Government of Santa Fe · Lisandro Enrico · Maximiliano Pullaro · Ministry of Health of Argentina · Ministry of Health of Entre Ríos · Santa Fe · Senapred · Silvia Ciancio
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Santa Fe government is conducting training for public health teams to prepare for river flooding. www.miradorprovincial.com · www.radioeme.com · www.rosarionuestro.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Santa Fe government has awarded a contract for cleaning 352 kilometers of main channels in the central region. lastoscasmultimedios.com.ar · www.sunchaleshoy.com.ar
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Senapred has issued alerts for residents to avoid ravines in the Paipote sector of Copiapó. www.vlnradio.cl
- [● 2 SOURCES] The cleaning project in central Santa Fe involves an investment exceeding 5,800 million pesos. lastoscasmultimedios.com.ar · www.sunchaleshoy.com.ar
- [● 2 SOURCES] Salto is preparing for potential flooding with evacuation centers and permanent emergency committee sessions. elpueblodigital.uy · 7paginas.com.ar
- [● 2 SOURCES] Entre Ríos has established a Health Emergency Committee to respond to potential El Niño flooding. eldiadegualeguay.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Chaco is increasing its stock of medical supplies, including anti-venom, to prepare for prolonged flooding. www.diariolavozdelchaco.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Mendoza is reinforcing riverbeds and defenses due to expected high precipitation and snowmelt. mendoza24.com.ar