Helicopters Airlift Residents as Chile Floods Hit Talagante — SkimNews
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- Police used helicopters to airlift trapped residents and pets from homes along the Mapocho river in Talagante, 35km southwest of Santiago, after fast-rising floodwaters caught them overnight
- The Mapocho river burst its banks and turned dirt roads into rivers, flooding large parts of Talagante where the riverside community had not been evacuated ahead of the downpours, unlike during July's storms
- Santiago recorded 74mm of rainfall in the first seven days of October, making it the rainiest October for the area in 76 years, according to meteorologists
- Officials found one person dead in a flooded underpass in San Bernardo, south of Santiago, though the cause of death has yet to be confirmed
- Meteorologists linked the extreme weather to an unusually strong El Niño climate phenomenon, warning it will likely continue bringing wet weather, powerful winds, and storms through the southern hemisphere's spring
- Climate experts warned the 2026-2027 El Niño is likely to cause major shifts in weather patterns globally, intensifying droughts in some areas and floods in others
Why it matters: Authorities skipped the pre-emptive evacuation of a riverside community that had been evacuated during July's storms, and at least one person died in the flooding. With a strong El Niño expected to persist through southern hemisphere spring, flood-prone areas around Santiago remain exposed to repeated deluges.
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