Peru continues to struggle with severe weather following the floods and landslides in Puno, Areuipa, Cusco and Junín that left one dead and one missing earlier this month.
At least 2 more have been killed and 1 is still missing after the latest wave of heavy rain that has affected areas in both eh north and south of the country.
North Peru
The northern regions of Piura and Tumbes, close to border with Ecuador, saw intense rainfall on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 February, 2016.
On the 25 February the National Service of Hydrology and Meteorology (Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología de Peru, SENAMHI) issued a Meteorological Alert of level 4 (the highest) for the northern regions.
According to SENAMHI, 22.4 mm of rain was recorded in 6 hours Piura, 25 mm in 12 hours in Sullana and above 100 mm in 8 hours in Tumbes.
Castilla and 26 de Octubre districts in Piura Region suffered the worst of the resulting floods, with 34 houses severely damaged. According the local emergency authorities, many of the houses were built of simple materials such as adobe, and had been constructed in flood prone areas.
Social Media
Una ligera lluvia afectó 40 viviendas solo en Piura y Veintiséis de Octubre https://t.co/zARSeMZmBq pic.twitter.com/oJkFG6gSrE
— Conecta Perú (@ConectaPeru_) February 27, 2016
South Peru
Intense rain and damages have also been reported in Puno, Apurímac and Cuzco regions, in south Peru.
According to the National Institute of Civil Defence (Instituto Nacional de Defensa Civil, INDECI) the torrential rain caused the overflow of the Putumayo River in the Haquira district, Apurímac Region. At least two people are reported dead and another is still missing as a result.
As a result of the intense rain since 23 February 2016, the Huancané and Muñani Rivers in Puno Region overflowed during the morning of the 25 February, causing damage to houses, agricultural and communication routes. As many as 88 houses have been affected by the flooding.
Several flooding events are reported in the Cusco Region, where the Urubamba and other rivers overflowed, affecting houses, roads and agricultural areas. In the city of Cusco 2 houses collapsed as a result of the torrential rain events.
Damage to Infrastructure in Lima Region
The overflow of the Rímac River in Lima Region produced several landslides that since the 25 February 2016 interrupted traffic on the Carretera Central, the main road connecting Lima to the central regions of Peru.
Así está la Carretera Central tras caída de huaicos [#FOTOS] ► https://t.co/jORWhQlyFD vía @sociedad_ECpe pic.twitter.com/G8Q1NCt7Vz
— El Comercio (@elcomercio) February 28, 2016
Central Peru – Junín Region
Earlier this month, on 16 February 2016, heavy rainfall triggered landslides and flooding in the district of Pampa Hermosa, Satipo Province, Junín region, damaging homes, roads, crops, schools and health facilities.
Military Assistance
Peru’s Ministry of Defense, through the Joint Command of the Armed Forces and its various Operational Command, ordered the immediate deployment of military personnel areas affected by floods and landslides in various parts of the country including Tumbes, Piura and Chachapoyas.
Over 270 military personnel worked on removing landslide and flood debris from roads and railway tracks in San Mateo district, Huarochirí province, Lima region.
