Chile declares state of catastrophe in northern regions after deadly storms leave nearly 100,000 isolated

The Chilean government has declared a state of catastrophe in its northern regions Tuesday after an unusual, devastating weather system unleashed historic rainfall, severe flooding and mudslides across desert areas.

The rain has left thousands affected and nearly 100,000 isolated due to blocked roads and swollen rivers.

President Jose Antonio Kast announced the decision following an emergency Cabinet assessment as the severe weather continued to cause widespread damage. The state of catastrophe covers the entire Coquimbo Region and Huasco Province in neighboring Atacama, areas where heavy rainfall is extraordinarily rare.

“Because the situation has worsened in severity, I have instructed the activation of this constitutional state of exception for public calamity,” Kast told reporters. “All material and economic resources are available to address this emergency.”

The measure grants the executive branch expanded powers to deploy military personnel, restrict movement, centralize disaster relief operations and expedite financial aid to hard-hit communities.

Reports from the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response (Senapred) indicate that the storm, which began July 15, has caused severe damage in multiple provinces.

At least five deaths have been confirmed, while four people are missing and more than 99,000 remain cut off from services due to destroyed bridges and blocked highways, while more than 2,200 people have been displaced from their homes.

More than 1,100 homes have been destroyed or severely damaged, and approximately 150,000 people were left without electricity nationwide as fallen power lines and mudslides disrupted utility grids and drinking water supplies.

Meteorological experts highlighted the extraordinary nature of the weather event. In Coquimbo, rainfall exceeded 200 millimeters (8 inches) in areas like Cerro Tololo, with single-hour rainfall totals matching what typical desert regions receive in a month.

Deputy Interior Minister Maximo Pavez classified it as “abnormal and extreme rainfall” unprecedented in recent memory. Arnaldo Zuniga, a representative from the Chilean Meteorological Directorate, added that the country had not experienced a frontal system of that geographical scale and intensity in nearly two decades.

The storm’s effect extended to the coastline, where heavy swells and wind gusts exceeding 100 km/h (62 mph) forced port authorities to restrict shipping and fishing operations at dozens of maritime terminals as a precautionary measure.

Public Works Minister Louis de Grange warned that infrastructure recovery will require a massive national effort, estimating that rebuilding damaged roads, bridges and water systems will cost “several hundred million dollars.”