El Niño Rains in Ecuador: Three Fatalities and Over 21,500 Affected as Authorities Activate Response Protocols

The Secretaría Nacional de Gestión de Riesgos (SNGR) reported on October 18 that the cumulative impact of rains associated with the El Niño phenomenon in Ecuador has resulted in three fatalities, 21,522 affected individuals, and 1,645 displaced people. These figures reflect an increase of two deaths, 215 affected, and 20 displaced persons reported between Saturday 10:00 and Sunday 15:00. The SNGR's report encompasses all impacts recorded over the past seven weeks, since a red alert was issued on August 29.

The three fatalities were recorded in the provinces of El Oro (1) and Azuay (2). Affected and displaced individuals are spread across 18 provinces, with the highest concentrations in Esmeraldas (17,243), Guayas (2,703), and Los Ríos (1,724). The heavy rainfall has destroyed 19 homes across nine provinces and affected 5,511 other houses in 17 provinces. Additionally, one bridge has collapsed, eight others are damaged, and 13.05 kilometers of roads have deteriorated.

The majority of adverse events reported include 217 floods, 78 landslides, 28 intense rains, 23 gales, 13 sinkholes, and 13 instances of hydraulic erosion. In response, the SNGR has delivered 11,713 humanitarian aid items and 10,571 kits to affected families. Currently, fifteen temporary shelters have been implemented across fourteen provinces, with one active shelter housing seven families (28 members).

The latest meteorological alert from the Instituto Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología (Inamhi) anticipates strong to very strong rains in the interior of the Litoral region, accompanied by scattered electrical storms, from Sunday afternoon until Monday, October 19, at 10:00. Possible hail is also forecast for specific areas of Quito. An Inamhi graphic indicates a "very high" risk of landslides or river overflows in localities of Guayas, Los Ríos, and parts of Santo Domingo. Probable impacts include water accumulation in homes and roads, road damage, falling trees, and fog. The SNGR requested on Sunday that local governments in ten provinces—Esmeraldas, Guayas, Los Ríos, El Oro, Santo Domingo, Loja, Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Azuay, and Imbabura—activate their preparation and response protocols.

Heavy rains on the night of October 18 and morning of October 19 caused additional emergencies, including eight floods in Los Ríos, Bolívar, El Oro, and Guayas, and two landslides in Bolívar province.

What to watch

Given the ongoing meteorological alerts and the SNGR's directive for local governments to activate response protocols, how effectively will these measures mitigate further damage and support affected populations in the coming days, particularly in high-risk areas like Guayas, Los Ríos, and Santo Domingo?

Sources: eluniverso.com; eluniverso.com; primicias.ec.