President Rafael Correa on Thursday declared a state of emergency as Ecuador was lashed by its worst rainy season in a decade, which has sparked widespread flooding and destruction of crops.

Correa made the call as he toured the hardest-hit region, the Pacific coast, where some 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) of crops have been submerged. So far one boy is missing and at least 350 families have had to be relocated, authorities said.

Officials said damages were only beginning to pile up because rivers have not yet begun to recede.