The Minister of Public Works, Alfredo Moreno, together with the National Director of Hydraulic Works, Claudio Darrigrandi, and the Seremi of the MOP in the RM, Felipe Infante, released this Sunday a balance on the state of infrastructure, services and reservoirs, after the heavy rains that affected the south central area of the country.
“We had during the last 36 hours the rainiest July day since the turn of the century. In the Metropolitan Region more than 40mm fell and more than 50 in the Valparaiso region, this affected the entire central area and has produced just over 200 victims and more than 70 homes with major damage,” said The Minister of Public Works, Alfredo Moreno, after overseeing the operation of the Canal Santa Marta sector in Maipú.
On public infrastructure in the case of the Metropolitan Region, the Secretary of State explained that “there was minor damage from waterlogging or flooding at various points, which have already been mostly resolved.” Cuts were recorded in the road network resulting from heavy rain and snow in some cases in the communes of San Bernardo, La Florida, Colina, Lampa, Melipilla and San José de Maipo. In addition, teams were deployed to address the increased channelbed in Pudahuel, Huechuraba and Maipú.
The highest authority of the MOP stressed that the latest rains and falling snow have also had a positive effect on the drought situation affecting the country. “We are having a more normal year, in Valparaiso, if one compares the rain we have received so far already equals that of a normal year and is four times higher than last year, and the Metropolitan Region is 10% under a normal year, but if we compare it to last year it already has more than double.”
“The snow in the Santiago mountain range already has 50 or 60% of a normal year. In 2019 we had almost zero and that’s our big water reserve for spring – summer. The reservoirs, yes, are still very low, Los Aromos in Valparaiso is 15% of its capacity and El Yeso here in the Metropolitan about half its capacity”, finally added Minister Alfredo Moreno.
To address the various emergencies following the last frontal system, the Ministry of Public Works deployed more than 20 emergency crews from the Road Directorate and the Directorate of Hydraulic Works, supported by machinery such as: trucks, backhoes, loaders and motor pumps.
