Historic El Niño flooding leaves two dead and four missing in the Galapagos Islands

Heavy rain in the Galapagos Islands has killed at least two people and affected more than 2,000 families, local authorities said Sunday. A weather station in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island recorded 212 millimeters of rain the second highest 24-hour total ever recorded in the Galapagos.

Four other residents are reported missing.

Residents of Puerto Ayora in the Galapagos Islands wade through waist-deep water Saturday night.

Associated with the El Niño weather system, the rains began late Friday and continued through most of Saturday, flooding streets and homes in Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the islands. “This is the first time something like this has happened in Santa Cruz. We never imagined this would happen and our emergency services have been overwhelmed,” said Galapagos Mayor Fanny Uribe.

“We are aware of the great damage being suffered on the mainland coast, but this is the first time we have been affected and no one here remembers flooding like this,” she said.

Images released by the ECU911 emergency service and local media showed residents of Puerto Ayora and Santa Cruz Island carrying their belongings to high ground.  Rescue workers were also pictured evacuating residents and tourists from flooded homes and hotels, with many being temporarily relocated to a community center.

The islands’ major airport on Baltra was closed for several hours Saturday due to a power failure and water on the runway. Several areas of Santa Cruz Island were without power until Sunday afternoon due to fallen power polls and damaged electrical equipment.

The main highway from the airport to Puerto Ayora was blocked in several locations by debris but was cleared by Sunday morning.

The Galapagos National Park closed four tourist sites on Santa Cruz and San Cristobal Islands, including parts of the Charles Darwin Center.

The Galapagos has 29,000 permanent residents, 25,500 of which live on Santa Cruz Island.