Unprecedented heat, rainfall wreak havoc in Chile

Chile has been ravaged by extreme weather conditions marked by record-breaking rainfall and high temperatures. Floods resulting from these destructive conditions have wreaked havoc in several regions of the country, prompting evacuations and complaints that aid is not arriving fast enough.

The weather and floods have affected an area covering four regions in the country. Three people have died and almost 45,000 homes have been damaged, including 44 that were destroyed. The losses, many of them uninsured, have topped $900 million.

"The entire area is severely affected," Aldo Russo, a hotel owner in the central Talca city, said. "The worst part has been borne by people living along the river, in unauthorized constructions."

Talca saw its main soccer stadium severely flooded after surrounding rivers overflowed. Dozens of residents were evacuated by boat from their homes in the city of about 200,000 people.

"We were severely affected by the collapse of a bridge over the Lircay River," Russo said. "However, the bridge was reopened, and we are fully booked this week."

Three people have died due to the severe weather, 1,245 have been sheltered, 41,532 have been isolated and 32,841 have been evacuated, according to the Chilean Interior Ministry's National Office of Emergency.

Deploying aid into the affected areas has proved difficult, local authorities said, adding that they ran out of capacity to communicate all the needs to the Chilean government.

Carolina Leitao, mayor of Penalolen city and president of the Chilean Association of Municipalities, said the municipal officials are having trouble in submitting reports as their premises have also been flooded, making communication difficult.

In optimal manner

"No one is obliged to do the impossible," Leitao said in a statement. "It is true that we must make the forms requesting aid, but we also must (realize) that municipalities are not always able to generate this request" in an optimal manner.

"Our authorities are deployed between the regions of Valparaiso and Biobio, where they are putting all their efforts to deliver quick and timely solutions to people affected by the frontal system," the government said.

One issue has been the lack of insurance. By Aug 18, insurance companies had received more than 2,900 claims worth around $45 million, a fraction of the total damages, according to the Association of Insurers of Chile.

"What we have witnessed these last few days will stay with us for life," wrote Scott Rawlings, who launched a fundraising campaign to help his friends and neighbors rebuild houses.

"We have friends and neighbors that have lost everything there: House, cars, animals and possessions. They have no money at all and no insurance," he said.

While the regions of O'Higgins, Maule, Nuble and Biobio in central Chile cope with floods, unusual high temperatures have been recorded in other regions of the country, with temperatures hitting highs not seen for 72 years, according to official records.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.