Argentina: floods in the northeast leave 2 dead and more than 2,000 evacuated as rivers keep rising

Buenos Aires — Flooding in northeastern Argentina has left at least two people dead and more than 2,000 residents evacuated, as the Paraná, Uruguay and Iguazú rivers keep rising after weeks of heavy rain linked to the El Niño phenomenon, according to reports published on Saturday.

The two victims were rural workers who drowned near Bella Vista, in Corrientes province, while trying to move cattle between islands threatened by the Paraná's rise. Police and Naval Prefecture personnel carried out a search operation until the bodies were recovered, according to local media cited by Reuters.

The hardest-hit provinces are Chaco, Corrientes and Misiones. According to provincial data collected on Saturday, about 1,194 people are displaced in Chaco and more than 550 in Corrientes, and the total number of evacuees and self-evacuees in the region exceeds 2,000. In Mendoza, in the west of the country, Civil Defense recorded 62 incidents between Friday and Saturday — flooded homes, roof leaks, fallen trees and power lines — while families in San Rafael were preventively evacuated due to the Diamante River's rise.

The Yacyretá Binational Entity reported that October inflows were about 92% above average, complicating dam management and raising downstream risk. The National Meteorological Service, Civil Defense and the Federal Emergency Agency continue monitoring river levels, drainage works, shelters and sanitary controls, and warn that additional rainfall and rising rivers could prolong the emergency for months.

Photo: Orbis Weather

Source: Orbis Weather