The weather phenomenon primarily affected the departments of Godoy Cruz and Las Heras , where most of the evacuations, rescues, and damage to homes occurred. The provincial agency confirmed that monitoring continues, as unstable weather conditions are expected to persist in the region for the coming days.
In its most recent report, Civil Defense detailed that the combination of heavy rains and the opening of floodgates at the Cipolletti Dam increased the turbidity of the raw water arriving at the water treatment plants in the Greater Mendoza Metropolitan Area and the surrounding foothills. This prompted the water utility, Aguas Mendocinas (Aysam), to warn of possible water service interruptions and request that residents use water sparingly in the coming hours until the system is restored.
The storm's impact was reflected not only in relief and rescue operations, but also in the large number of evacuees. In Godoy Cruz, the Los Cerillos neighborhood, in particular , had to be evacuated, and numerous teams worked on flooded homes to address the emergency quickly. Meanwhile, other municipalities reported localized damage, from fallen trees and power lines to partial flooding, in an overall picture of damage that affected six departments.
Following the emergency, a total of 149 interventions were carried out by Civil Defense and Firefighters, ranging from structural problems in homes to issues with the public utility network. The saturation of storm drains, such as the Ciruelos ditch on Tiburcio Benegas Street, reinforced the authorities' concerns about the province's water infrastructure.
Geographical distribution of the damage
The department of Godoy Cruz recorded the highest number of emergencies, with 61 cases. These included the evacuation of 40 people in the Los Cerillos neighborhood, assistance to 17 flooded homes , and the rescue of three people trapped in their vehicles at the Frías Dam.
Las Heras followed , with 51 interventions, mainly due to flooded homes: 48 reports related to flooded houses and three to structural collapses without injuries. This district surpassed the rest of the province in the number of homes flooded, requiring a rapid response from emergency teams.
Santa Rosa totaled 20 assistance calls due to roof leaks in the La Dormida and Las Catitas sectors, places where rainwater overflowed roofs in poor condition.
The official survey also recorded incidents in the City of Mendoza, including ten flooded homes, a fallen tree, and a downed power line. These incidents included the flooding of the Yaffani Center store on Las Heras Street. In Guaymallén, the damage was minimal, with three homes affected, and in Maipú, only one flooded house and a downed power line were reported.
The water company Aguas Mendocinas reported that the storm and the opening of the Cipolletti Dam caused a significant increase in suspended solids in the water entering the system, raising turbidity and affecting the water treatment processes. As a result, they warned of the real possibility of water restrictions and specifically asked for the cooperation and responsible use of water from residents of Greater Mendoza while the situation is being resolved.
The heavy rains and the added flow in recent days aggravated recent episodes such as the overflow of the Ciruelos ditch, which was once again at its limit, as happened in the floods of January.
(Translated by Google)
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