Argentina: Floods in Buenos Aires province leave one dead and three missing

Floods caused by heavy rains in the northern Argentinian province of Buenos Aires left one person dead and three missing, while nearly 2,000 people remain in evacuation centers, provincial authorities announced Sunday. One man was found dead and security forces are searching for three missing people, said the province's civil protection chief, Fabian Garcia.

Many went to live with relatives

The almost continuous rains, nearly five times the local May average, caused rivers and ditches to overflow, cutting off half a dozen roads and submerging fields in this featureless pampa (plain) area. They also flooded streets in the outer suburbs of Buenos Aires.

According to Fabian Garcia, 1,945 people are still in evacuation centers and "a very large number of people have left their homes to stay with relatives." The number of evacuees has been reduced to less than half of what it was on Saturday evening.

"After last night's storm (Saturday), the water has receded in all areas and people are beginning to return home," a provincial government statement said.

Emergency operations

Both the national and provincial governments launched emergency operations, sending rescue brigades, technical teams, rescue vehicles, and supplies for refugees, such as mattresses, blankets, dry clothes, water, and food, to the most affected areas.

The volume of rainfall since Friday has exceeded that recorded in early March in Bahia Blanca (600 km south of Buenos Aires), where torrential rains and flooding caused 18 deaths, said provincial Security Minister Javier Alonso. According to meteorologist Cindy Fernandez, the norm for May in this part of the country is "around 70, 80 mm of water for the entire month. This time, it's quintupled."