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Argentina - Floods (MDRAR013): DREF Final Report

Pays
Argentine
Sources
IFRC
Date de publication

A. Situation Analysis

A.1 Description of the Disaster

On 27 March 2017, medium to high-intensity rains and storms began to hit Argentina, leaving heavy production and material losses in their wake. A total of 15 provinces were affected. A total of 39,777 people across Argentina were affected from late March to early April 2017.
The following provinces were among the most affected: Jujuy (south), Salta (north), Tucumán (south), Córdoba (Villa General Belgrano and the Paravachasca Valley), San Juan (Ullum, 25 de Mayo and Valle Fértil), Catamarca (Santa Rosa and Valle Viejo neighbourhood in El Portezuelo; Ambato and Los Corderos and Las Lajas neighbourhoods in Paclín), Chubut (Comodoro Rivadavia) and Buenos Aires (Mar del Plata).

In June and July 2017, heavy rains caused various rivers to overflow, leading to flooding in the cities of Concordia and Concepción del Uruguay (Entre Ríos province) and in several cities in Corrientes province.
Argentine Red Cross (ARC) branches launched operations to respond to these emergencies, providing assistance to more than 200 families.

On 29 March 2017, intense rains caused flooding in several neighbourhoods in Chubut province. The ARC branch in Chubut suffered mud and water damage. Some 100 people were housed in various collective centres, which were managed by neighbourhood organizations and received supplies from the municipal and provincial governments. On 30 March, the governor of Chubut province declared a 120-day weather emergency. A new storm packing 45 to 50-kphwinds hit Comodoro Rivadavia on 7 April, dumping almost 100 millimetres of rain over a period of 24 hours, killing two people and directly and indirectly affecting 100,000 others, worsening the already precarious situation.

Tucumán was the second most affected province nationwide, as rainfall levels in its southern areas were double the normal monthly average for that time of year. On 30 March, Tucumán's provincial government declared a multi-issue emergency (water, social, community and agricultural) for Simoca, Graneros, Alberdi, La Cocha, La Invernada, Lamadrid and Taco Ralo. In Lamadrid, 80 per cent of its approximately 5,000 people suffered damages. Most of the population has since returned to their homes, while others temporarily left and a small minority permanently abandoned their homes.

On 8 April, intense rainfall began to fall in the city of Mar del Plata in Buenos Aires province. By 10 April, 241 mm had fallen over a period of 48 hours (monthly average for the area is 70 mm), affecting a total of 23 neighbourhoods in the city of Belgrano, including the neighbourhoods of Belgrano, Autódromo and 2 de Abril.

On 7 April, the mayor of Valle Fértil in San Juan province declared a weather emergency due to the increasing rains and their impact. According to Province Civil Protection, the most affected areas were Baldes de Astica, Baldes de Funes and Baldes del Sur de Chucuma, which are all in the southern Valle Fértil, affecting 50 families. Flooding in these communities left several families incommunicado, requiring the delivery of food via helicopter.