Nearly 600 Districts of Peru’s Coast and Mountains at Risk Due Heavy Rains
Working Group and Platform for Civil Defense in Amazonas after the overflow of a river. Photo: X/ @COENPeru
February 16, 2025 Hour: 3:13 pm
Almost 600 districts in the northern coast and the mountains of Peru are at risk due to heavy rainfall affecting several regions of tthe country, reported the National Institute of Civil Defense (Indeci) this Sunday.
RELATED:
More Than 300 Districts in the Peruvian Mountains Declared at Risk by Heavy Rains
The agency stated in a statement that 598 districts “are at risk of being affected by landslides, huaicos (avalanches), or other types of mass movements.”
This scenario was drafted by the National Center for Disaster Risk Estimation, Prevention, and Reduction (Cenepred) following a weather alert from the National Meteorology and Hydrology Service of Peru (Senamhi), which announced that rainfall would continue until next Tuesday.
The document indicated that the northern department of Áncash has the highest number of districts at very high risk, with 61; followed by Ayacucho and Huancavelica, each with 48; Apurímac, with 29; Cajamarca, with 25; Lima, with 20; Piura, with 19; Cuzco, with 13; Puno, with 11; Junín, with 7; and Arequipa, with 4.
Another 313 districts in those same regions, along with Ica and Tumbes, are at high risk.
Indeci urged local and regional authorities to ensure that evacuation routes are clear and marked, as well as checking the availability of health centers, fire departments, and police stations in their jurisdictions.
It also recommended that the population protect and reinforce the roofs of their homes and establish an early warning system in coordination with local authorities.
The heavy rains in Peru have caused, so far, at least two fatalities, in addition to affecting thousands of homes and destroying several dozen, along with various infrastructures, fields, and roads.
The Government reported that it has a budget of 3.7 billion soles (approximately 1 billion dollars or 951 million euros) for this year to implement plans to address the effects of heavy rains, frosts, and forest fires occurring in the country.
Fuente: EFE