Tornado and Flooding Hit Chile’s Ñuble Region Amid Severe Weather Front

A series of tornadoes, classified as EF‑0 to F0, struck the Ñuble Region of Chile on July 27, affecting the communes of Chillán Viejo, Bulnes, El Carmen and San Nicolás. The funnels damaged homes, uprooted trees and destroyed agricultural fields, with at least one family reported injured but no fatalities.

The same frontal system caused rapid river rises and flooding in Chillán and the broader Coquimbo area. Municipal emergency teams and the regional civil defence agency (Senapred) deployed crews, sandbags and drainage work to protect vulnerable sectors. By early August, more than 581 tonnes of aid—including food, water, blankets and hygiene kits—had been distributed to families in 15 communes of the Coquimbo Region.

Local authorities also carried out extensive street‑cleaning, sump‑and‑drain maintenance and tree‑pruning operations in Chillán and surrounding municipalities to reduce flood risk and restore normal traffic flow. The coordinated response continues as the weather front weakens.