A woman screams desperately in a video recorded in Arequipa, southern Peru: “Grab him! Grab him, please!” The images show how a person is dragged by the force of a landslide that descends a street full of homes, after the. Extreme rainfall has left some sectors of Arequipa under mud and has caused the death of six people, in addition to more than 4,000 affected, according to the latest figures from the regional government. The rains have also impacted other regions in the south, such as Ica, and in the north, including Tumbes and Piura, where landslides, river overflows and floods have been recorded.
In Arequipa, the majority of deaths – among them a 70-year-old woman, a father and his 14-year-old son – were swept away by the collapse of torrents. The scenes are devastating: destroyed houses, others with waist-deep mud, completely disabled businesses and cars covered in mud. The regional governor of Arequipa, Rohel Sánchez, indicated to The Commerce that the and that they are about to reach “the extreme of a catastrophe.” For this reason, they have asked the Executive to declare an emergency throughout the region.
Some of the most affected areas have been the districts of Cayma (more than 114,000 inhabitants) or Yanahuara (30,000 inhabitants), among other high areas of the region. As of Monday afternoon, according to the latest official information from the Civil Defense Institute (Indeci), there were 4,782 people affected, as well as 469 homes, eight bridges and 45 kilometers of road. And the Ministry of Health (Minsa) assured that 38 health facilities reported damage. Although the figures vary every day.
Peru is currently in the initial phase of the Coastal Niño phenomenon, as confirmed by the National Meteorology and Hydrology Service (Senamhi) and the Multisector Commission in charge of the National Study of the (ENFEN), which explains the significant increase in rainfall. These occur as a consequence of the anomalous warming of the sea off the Peruvian coast. The impact is concentrated mainly on the northern and central coast of the country.
In the northern regions of Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque and Cajamarca, the rainfall has also left damage to homes, roads and basic services, in addition to affecting its inhabitants. In Piura, specifically, the rains recorded in recent days exceeded the monthly average for February by 100%, explains Angie Flores, meteorology specialist at Senamhi. This has generated landslides and floods, aggravated by the lack of drainage systems, he adds. The Minsa indicated that 46 health facilities reported damage.
In this region, the residents of the Máncora district – with 14,000 inhabitants and an important tourist destination – are going through a critical situation after several hours of intense rains that have caused floods and accumulation of mud in sections of the main road, the market and residential areas. Lagoons of dirty water and mud have also formed that could become infectious sources due to the proliferation of mosquitoes or a possible collapse of local drainage systems.
A country without prevention
The neighbors – who have spent the day trying to help and get water pumps – have organized a protest against the local authorities for the lack of prevention measures against this type of natural phenomena that, unfortunately, are no longer unexpected in the country. Every certain number of years – the last ones were in 2017 and 2023 – the rains and landslides destroy part of the population and essential infrastructure, due to the absence of preventive actions and works.
Freddy Morán, president of the Lima Risk and Disaster Management Commission of the College of Engineers of Peru, explains that there is a national risk management policy, but it is not applied at the local level. “Only 30% of the country has its plan approved, not all local or regional governments are working on prevention measures,” he indicates. He adds that a comprehensive vision of watershed management, territorial planning and intersectoral work is needed “to be able to avoid these effects of avalanches, which sweep away everything in their path, trees, houses, poles, and reach the lower part.”
Another factor that increases vulnerability is the construction of homes in ravines or areas at risk of flooding. Jesús Carpio, architect and resident of Arequipa with a background in urban and historical studies, explains that in that city – although it happens throughout Peru – urban growth, formal and informal, “began to occupy areas that should not be intervened.” This has meant that the torrents that were previously between 30 to 50 meters wide today reach the city reduced by just three meters: “The current width and depth do not correspond to the volume or speed of the water and the stones it drags,” he points out. These days, not only homes have been observed in these areas, but also schools and universities in ravine areas.
According to Senamhi’s latest notice on the activation of streams, which is valid for 24 hours until Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., there is a red alert of extreme severity in five regions (four in the north and one in the south). 61,504 people are under this alert, 452 educational centers and 51 health centers. On the other hand, 16 regions are under warning for heavy rains; and, various parts of the country have roads interrupted or with restricted traffic.
The National Meteorology and Hydrology Service (Senamhi) has predicted that the rains will continue in the north of the country at least until February 27. Although extreme intensity precipitation is not expected, moderate intensity accumulations are expected.
