Heavy rains flood Cuenca and most of the country

Continuous rain in much of Ecuador is disrupting traffic, flooding farms and destroying property. Most of the country has experienced more than a week of rain and more is in the forecast.

Cuenca’s four rivers have been near flood stage since late last week due to heavy rain.

In Cuenca, the city’s four rivers have been at or near flood stage since Thursday, with flooding reported in several low-lying areas. Areas of the city’s historic district, which usually avoid flooding, experienced heavy run-off requiring the evacuation by firefighters of three families early Friday on Calles Baltazara de Calderón and Miguel Vélez.

South of Cuenca, residents remain on alert for the possible collapse of a second agricultural reservoir in Victoria del Portete. On Wednesday, another reservoir collapsed, flooding more than 100 hectares of farmland. Further south, flooding damage was reported in Girón and in communities in the Yunguilla Valley.

As of Sunday night, the Pan American highway was open although traffic was restricted to one lane in at least three locations.

Forty kilometers northeast of Cuenca, the Mazar reservoir, the focus of national concern for its low levels during the recent drought, is discharging massive amounts of water due to over-capacity. This, despite the fact that the three hydroelectric plants at the reservoir were operating at near-capacity.

Several farms near Girón were damaged by mudslides.

Elsewhere in Ecuador, flooding has triggered landslides near Quito, blocking highways and forcing the evacuation of dozens of families. On the border with Imbabura Province, a bridge was washed out by flooding of the Rios San Dimas and Pachijal.

The country’s coastal region has also been hard-hit, with Esmeraldas, Los Ríos, Manabí, Santa Elena and Guayas Provinces reporting flood damage. In the city of Esmeraldas, 32 families were relocated due to flooding rivers and a landslide in Anconcito parish, in Salinas, destroyed part of roadway and an adjacent bridge.

The national meteorological service sees no relief in sight. “Large amounts of moisture continue to flow from the Amazon region over the entire country,” the weather service said Sunday. “This will continue at least until Thursday and possibly beyond.”