Heavy rainfall has now led to flooding in Paraguay, Brazil and parts of north east Argentina. River levels, especially those of the Paraguay and Paraná rivers are dangerously high. Some stretches of the Paraná and Paraguay rivers have already burst their banks.
Brazil
11 people have now died in the flooding in the state of Paraná, where a total of 560,000 are reported to have been affected by flooding over the last week. The state of Santa Catarina is also affected. Further heavy rainfall is expected over the next few days.
Paraguay
2 people have been reported as killed in the flooding. A boy aged 10 drowned in flood waters near the Paraná River in Misiones Department yesdterday Thursday 12 June 2014, according to local police. As many as 160,000 have been affected in the country, with many of them in the capital Asunción. Further rain is expected, along with some strong winds and cold temperatures.
Argentina
The north eastern area of Argentina that borders Paraguay and Brazil is also experiencing flooding. The province of Misiones is worst affected, in particular Montecarlo, Puerto Piraí and Caraguataí. Roads and bridges have been damaged and thousands are believed to have been cut off from the outside world as a result. Further heavy rainfall has been forecast for the next 24 hours.
Iguazu Falls
As happened during flooding around the same time last year, authorities have closed the famous Iguazu Falls to tourists while water levels are so high. The safety of walkways around the falls has been compromised and the situation is considered to be too dangerous to allow tourists to the site.
2 Months of Flooding
Flooding is farily frequent in this region of South America where the 3 countries meet. In fact the situation is very similar to the 2013 flooding of the Paraná River that affected Paraguay, Argentina and parts of Brazil. One feature of last year’s floods to bear in mind was just how long they went on for. In 2013 the flooding lasted for almost 2 months, starting in early June and continuing through to the end of July.
1982 to 1983 Floods
One of the worst floods of the Paraná river was during 1982 to 1983. The flooding affected Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia. 600,000 people were displaced, and there were 170 casualties killed in the floods.
Chile
Although not directly related to the flooding of the Paraguay and Paraná rivers, Chile is also experiencing floods in central and southern regions. Around 1,600 people have been displaced, and roads have been damaged leaving some communities isolated.
Floods in the first few days of June this year left around 4,000 people stranded in central and southern Chile.
