Rains in Quito are the strongest in the last 20 years, says the Municipality

Landslides, falling rocks and trees, people trapped in their homes, traffic accidents were some of the emergencies reported in Quito between December 11 and 13, due to constant rains. According to the Secretary of Security and Governance, these precipitations constitute “as the strongest in the last 20 years”.

The most affected areas are the slopes of the Pichincha, from the Atucucho sector to Primavera, in the center-north of the capital, the Secretariat reported Sunday night in a statement.

“This situation has caused a saturation in the soils, which has caused several landslides on the neighboring second-order roads,” the statement reads. As intervention measures, the metropolitan companies of Potable Water and Sanitation (Epmaps) and of Security (Emseguridad) proceeded with the cleaning of the catchments of the Yacu Pugro and Caicedo streams, to the north of the city.

On Saturday, the Quito Fire Department (CBQ) responded to an emergency in the El Panecillo area, the historic center, where a tree fell on a house. The tree was in the courtyard of the house, but, due to the force of the rainfall, it broke and fell on the roof and the walls. Firefighters rescued two people who were trapped inside the building and suffered multiple bruises.

On Sunday, on the other hand, a landslide was reported in Atucucho, to the north, which obstructed the access road. Similar events occurred in other sectors.

According to information from the Municipality, only during the weekend the firefighters attended 13 floods, three mass movements.

This Monday, the Metropolitan Public Mobility and Public Works Company (Epmmop) reported that the weather affects the operation for laying pavement or material used in road maintenance, as well as patching. The horizontal signaling activities were also altered, “since it is impossible to place traffic paint on the wet asphalt layer,” explains the entity.

To respond to emergencies on roads and public spaces, Epmmop activated brigades that will work 24 hours a day in coordination with the ECU-911, the Cantonal Emergency Operations Committee (COE) and municipal institutions.

Likewise, groups of officials inspected the ravines and slopes in the Susana Lettor sector and the slope of Bernardo Dávalos street. This in order to carry out mitigation studies of the impact of rain.

In the south of Quito it rains more than in the north

The current climate of the capital is due to the configuration of the rainy season, explains Raúl Parra, forecast analyst at the National Institute of Hydrology Meteorology (Inamhi).

According to a report by the entity, which analyzes the atmospheric conditions between December 9 and 14, there is a level of “medium-high meteorological threat”, loaded with rain and electrical storms.

Parra explains that, normally, the average rainfall throughout December is 103.5 millimeters of water per square meter (mm), according to the Iñaquito reference station. However, as of today, December 13, 88.5 millimeters are already registered. Although this margin still remains below the average, Parra clarifies that in a few days the rains, in the north of the city, are approaching the usual levels.

On the other hand, where there is an excess is in the south, indicates the analyst. In the Izobamba station the normal margin for this month is 148.1 millimeters; However, so far that level has already been exceeded by 37%, since 203.5 millimeters have been accumulated.

Parra clarifies that it is common for more rains to occur in the south of the city, due to its geographical characteristics, which allow a greater entry of humidity.

The Inmahi foresees that the storm will last until Wednesday and that from Thursday the situation will calm down for a few days, even the presence of clear skies and sun is expected. (I)