[REVISION HISTORY]

Iguazu and Uruguay River Floods

Updated 3 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-07-28 15:40 UTC → 2026-07-30 23:40 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The flooding that began on 23 July 2026 with a surge in the Iguazú River has persisted through late July, repeatedly raising river levels across the southern Brazil‑Argentina basin. The Garganta del Diablo circuit in Iguazú National Park was closed on 22 July after the river peaked at about 7,500 m³/s—roughly five times normal flow—and remained shut until 27 July, when discharge fell to 6,370 m³/s and authorities reopened the main tourist attraction. In parallel, the Uruguay River continued to rise in Concordia, prompting renewed Costanera restrictions and a state of evacuation for the border town of Garruchos. Emergency response actions included accelerated contingency planning by CECOED Salto in Uruguay, activation of provincial emergency plans in Misiones, and the preparation of evacuation centres. The Argentine Naval Prefecture reported water levels of 9.46 m in Alvear and 9.29 m in La Cruz, urging residents to avoid navigation. Tourism in Puerto Iguazú rebounded strongly in July, with hotel occupancy averaging 83 % and more than 143 000 visitors to Parque Nacional Iguazú. Anticipating further flooding, the concessionaire Iguazú Argentina S.A. has requested permission to dismantle the metal walkways of the Devil’s Throat circuit. The removal is slated to begin on 3 August, with structures to be stored at a nearby railway station and re‑installed after river levels recede. Brazilian monitoring agencies warn that elevated flows in September‑October could trigger extraordinary floods, reinforcing the pre‑emptive measures. Overall, the situation reflects an ongoing flood threat driven by heavy rains and El Niño conditions, with repeated infrastructure closures, evacuations, preventative actions, and heightened monitoring across the affected river basins.

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