More Than 100,000 Flee Devastating Floods in South America

A man wades through floodwater in Paraguay. (Photo: AP)

More Than 100,000 Flee Devastating Floods in South America

Up to 160,000 displaced following El Niño pummels Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil for nearly 10 days

More than 100,000 people have been evacuated throughout the bordering areas of Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil as severe flooding continued to batter the South American region this weekend.

According to new figures released Sunday by the Municipal Emergencies office, as many as 160,000 people have had to flee their homes due to the flooding that began December 18--a devastating result of this season's El Nino storms.

Many of those impacted are low-income families living along the River Paraguay.

"[The flooding] was directly influenced by the El Nino phenomenon which has intensified the frequency and intensity of rains," the office said.

As the United Nations weather agency, the World Meteorological Organization, warned last month, this year's storm season is the worst in more than 15 years, and is likely to bring yet more flooding and droughts to the tropics and subtropics.

Common Dreams needs you today!

The flooding in South America follows recent severe storms in Yemen and Mexico. In October, after Hurricane Patricia made landfall in Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo and forced the evacuation of 50,000 people, meteorologist Eric Holthaus wrote at Slate that, due to climate change, it was "exactly the kind of terrifying storm we can expect to see more frequently in the decades to come."

Paraguay has been the hardest hit, with an estimated 100,000 displaced, while 20,000 have been left homeless in Argentina and 9,000 in Uruguay. At least eight people have been killed across the region, according to local media.

Paraguay's emergencies office also said the river is likely to rise in the coming days and may not subside until January.

Paraguay has reportedly declared a state of emergency in Asuncion. In Argentina on Sunday, Corrientes governor Ricardo Colombi said "the consequences [of the flooding] will be serious."

Join Us: News for people demanding a better world


Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place.

We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference.

Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today!

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.