A complex of strong thunderstorms dropped heavy rain on Cuenca Tuesday afternoon, flooding some streets and several dozen homes. The rain began about two and continued for three to four hours, weather officials say, sending the Rios Tomebamba and Tarqui over their banks in several locations.
A flooded school van in central Cuenca
Firefighters performed rescues throughout the afternoon, most involving extracting motorists from flooded vehicles. In one case, several elderly citizens were rescued from a flooded bus near Av. Las Americas and Remigio Crespo.
Flooding blocked traffic on the Azogues autopista near Hospital del Río Cuenca, on Av. Ordoñez Lazo and at Av. Las Americas near Miraflores. According to rescue workers, most of the flooded homes were in the Santa María de Sayausi sectors.
According to the national meteorology institute, Tuesday’s storms affected much of the Andean central valley, from Quito to Cuenca, with Riobamba and Guana receiving the heaviest rainfall totals.
