Policemen in central Chile rushed to rescue locals in the riverside town of Talagante after a sudden surge of the Mapocho River left dozens of homes the size of lakes. Helixes hovered overhead as rescued families, including their pets, were lifted out of shallow bodies of water that had formed overnight.
Santiago has experienced 74 mm of rainfall in the first seven days of October—its wettest October in 76 years, according to meteorologists—fueling the deadly floods. A fatality was confirmed at a flooded underpass in San Bernardo, but investigators are still determining the exact cause.
Climate experts warn that the 2026‑2027 El Niño event could bring a continuing wave of unseasonal rains, winds and storms across the southern hemisphere’s spring season, posing further risks of flood or drought elsewhere.
