Deadly Chilean Storm Severs Key Highway, Floods Arid Regions

Published 21 July 2026 · politics

(Bloomberg) -- Prolonged winter rains in Chile’s normally arid north-central regions have swelled rivers and triggered mudslides, blocking parts of the copper-exporting country’s main highway

(Bloomberg) -- Prolonged winter rains in Chile’s normally arid north-central regions have swelled rivers and triggered mudslides, blocking parts of the copper-exporting country’s main highway and killing at least 10 people. Tens of thousands remain cut off in isolated villages in the mountainous Coquimbo and Atacama regions as the rain finally starts to ease in some places. The storm has disrupted electricity and water supplies, as well as telecommunications, with damage likely to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Government emergency alerts are still buzzing on cell phones, warning residents to evacuate as mudslides and sinkholes expand. Runoff and rough seas have blanketed stretches of the north-central Pacific coastline with debris. The extreme weather has caused localized disruptions to mining operations, although the main copper districts in the far north lie outside the storm’s path and major mines have so far avoided significant operational impacts.

President José Antonio Kast on Monday declared a state of catastrophe across the Coquimbo region and Huasco province in Atacama, granting emergency powers to respond to widespread flooding and damage. “Severe storms and flooding are not unprecedented in Chile’s history,” said Miguel Fernández, a meteorologist at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. “What makes this event unusual is that it comes after nearly 16 years of severe drought.” The storm coincides with the onset of El Niño, a recurring Pacific ocean warming trend that causes flooding and drought in different parts of the world. Parts of the Coquimbo region have received more rain than they typically gets in a year. The region, north of the capital Santiago, is one of Chile’s main agricultural hubs, producing grapes, avocados and citrus. “This opens a new window of risk for the country, a major fruit exporter, if similar sequences of storm systems occur again in late July or August,” said Patricio González Colville, professor and researcher at the Center for Research and Technology Transfer in Irrigation and Agroclimatology at the Universidad de Talca.

The Agriculture Society, Chile’s main agricultural chamber, said it is monitoring potential disruptions to citrus and avocado harvests and damage to infrastructure and irrigation systems, especially for small-scale farmers in Coquimbo. Mining Damage Route 5, the Chilean leg of the Pan-American Highway that has been blocked in several places by rushing water and debris, is a key economic artery for mining industry personnel and supplies. Mining companies in the affected areas have activated emergency protocols, restricted site access and stepped up monitoring of critical infrastructure while also assisting nearby communities. Antofagasta Plc deployed heavy equipment to clear roads near its flagship Los Pelambres mine and housed workers on site with food, heating and medical support. Barrick Gold Corp.’s Chile unit provided machinery and a helicopter to authorities in Alto del Carmen to help restore road access and support rescue efforts and logistics.