Ten people have died and hundreds have been evacuated in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, after severe flooding caused by 400 mm of rain. Emergency evacuations included infants from a hospital, while the army provided assistance. Historical rainfall records confirm this storm as one of the worst in the city’s history, prompting significant infrastructure responses and ongoing weather alerts.
Severe flooding in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, has resulted in ten fatalities and prompted widespread evacuations. The city faced eight consecutive hours of intense rainfall, leading to the evacuation of local facilities, including the Jose Penna hospital, which serves a population of 350,000. The flooding situation has necessitated immediate emergency responses from various agencies.
Television footage revealed urgent rescues, including medical personnel evacuating infants from the hospital’s neonatal unit. The army has also been deployed to enhance rescue operations, with around 1,000 individuals evacuated to safety from the inundated areas of Bahia Blanca, located 600 kilometers south of Buenos Aires.
Officials confirmed at least six deaths due to the flooding, with concerns that the toll could increase. The rainfall exceeded 400 millimeters in just a few hours, a volume synonymous with Bahia Blanca’s total annual precipitation and labeled as “unprecedented” by security minister Javier Alonso.
Alonso provided historical context, noting that the last significant storm in Bahia Blanca occurred in 1930 and recorded 175 millimeters of rain, making the current event nearly three times as severe. In response to the crisis, Bahia Blanca’s airport is closed indefinitely, and parts of the city’s power supply have been cut to prevent electric shock incidents.
Efforts to assist the affected community are underway, with provincial government dispatches including helicopters, ambulances, canoes, and supply trucks equipped with food and water. Residents have recounted traumatic experiences from the flooding, such as Flavia Viera Romero, who described rescuing her children from a meter-and-a-half of floodwater.
The local meteorological service continues to issue warnings, indicating a potential for further storms, while recovery efforts are ongoing to restore normalcy in Bahia Blanca.
The flooding in Bahia Blanca has led to substantial casualties and forced evacuations, highlighting the city’s vulnerability to extreme weather events. With unprecedented rainfall and historic comparisons underscoring the event’s severity, official responses include emergency aid and infrastructure adjustments. Ongoing weather alerts raise concerns for future storms, necessitating continued vigilance for resident safety.
Original Source: sharjah24.ae
