Helicopter Rescues Residents as Chile Floods Swamp Towns
Police in central Chile have airlifted several residents to safety after rising floodwaters left them trapped in their homes.
Recent torrential rains caused the Mapocho river to burst its banks, flooding large parts of the city of Talagante, 35km south-west of the capital, Santiago.
Santiago has seen 74mm of rainfall in the first seven days of this month, making it the rainiest October for the area in 76 years, meteorologists say.
They warned that this year's unusually strong El Niño climate phenomenon will likely keep bringing wet weather, powerful winds and storms to the region during the southern hemisphere's spring.
Officials reported one person found dead in a flooded underpass in San Bernardo, south of Santiago, though they have yet to confirm cause of death.
In Talagante, police used helicopters to rescue people and pets living on the banks of the Mapocho who had been surprised by fast‑rising waters overnight.
Dirt roads turned to rivers in the riverside community which, unlike in July's storms, had not been evacuated ahead of heavy downpours.
Climate experts warn the 2026‑2027 El Niño is likely to cause major shifts in weather patterns worldwide, intensifying drought in some areas and floods in others. In central Chile it is expected to trigger above‑average rainfall.
