© Cadena 3 ArgentinaFlooding in Cordoba, Argentina
Storm - 70 mm of rain, 140 km/h winds
According to the Observatory of Cordoba of the Argentinian National Meteorological Service (Servicio Meteorológico Nacional - Observatorio de Córdoba, SMN), more than 70 mm of rain was recorded in Córdoba during the torrential storm which started at 20.10 and lasted a few hours. Moreover, the city was affected by hail and strong winds as high as 110 km/h, and gusts up to 140 km/h.
Cordoba Province, especially Sierras Chicas 30 km North-West of Córdoba, was affected by a similar intense event a year ago, 15 February 2015. More than 1,000 people were displaced from their houses, and 9 causalities were reported after the storm last year.
Several provinces of Argentina, including Entre Ríos, Chaco, Corrientes and Formosa, are still recovering from floods caused by overflowing rivers that began in late December 2015 and continued into January 2016.
Damages in Córdoba - 4 dead, 100s of homes flooded
Several areas of the of the city of Córdoba were badly affected, including Villa Richardson, Central America and parts of the North and West neighbourhoods, where there were hundreds of houses flooded. The Municipal Civil Defense reported that several families were evacuated from Villa El Chaparral and from the West sectors.
The Provincial Energy Enterprise of Córdoba (Empresa Provincial de Energía de Córdoba, EPEC) said the storm caused the outage of 4 transformer stations, failure of several medium voltage distributors and falling trees on airlines.
The storm disrupted the city's transport system, with several roads inundated due to rainwater drainage system being overwhelmed. Several vehicles were stranded in flood water.
As of late yesterday, 16 February 2016, local media reported that there had been 4 casualties. A motorcyclist died when he was dragged by a strong current on the road, and a man, believed to be a security guard, drowned when he was swept away by floodwater. The other two victims, which included a young child, are reported to have died as a result of wind and storm damage.
On the 15 February the SMN emitted a short notice weather alert for severe storms. Preparedness and risk knowledge during intense and abrupt events with short alert time available remains crucial in preventing disasters.
© Geól. Sergio Almazán
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