- Title: PERU: Meteorologists say the ongoing flooding in Peru is caused by El Nino
- Date: 7th February 2007
- Summary: (LATIN) LIMA, PERU (FEBRUARY 06, 2007) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) METEOROLOGICAL EXPERT JORGE CHIRA, SAYING: "We have increased showers in the central regions of the country and you can't deny that they have something to do with global and regional events." CHIRA IN INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) METEOROLOGICAL EXPERT JORGE CHIRA, SAYING: "In this region it needs to rain some 200 millimeters a month, and in just one night it rained almost what it needs to rain in a month. Last night it rained between 60 and 70 liters per square meter. This is causing landslides, rises in river levels and it can cause disaster in these areas." CHIRA IN INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) METEOROLOGICAL EXPERT JORGE CHIRA, SAYING: "El Nino is acting differently. A weak El Nino is dominating, because the axis has passed and so it is not impacting the coast as expected, it is concentrated over the jungle."
- Embargoed: 22nd February 2007 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Peru
- Country: Peru
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Weather
- Reuters ID: LVA1MIJ0GE6EHKK1AOBCZHPPJN6T
- Story Text: For over a month, heavy rains have caused massive flooding in Peru, displacing thousands. Meteorologists say the unusually heavy rains have been caused by El Nino.
Torrential rains blamed on El Nino have been battering central Peru since last Christmas, and still on Tuesday (February 06) the rain has continued to beat down.
Churning rivers have surged beyond their banks, ripping through bridges, roads and houses during an unusually wet rainy season.
The devastation stretches across a huge distance - reaching down here to the Junin province where some fourteen people were killed in flash floods two weeks ago, up to hundreds of kilometers away in the northern provinces of Huanuco and San Martin.
Broken sewage systems have brought on health risks, and the United Nations has mobilized to bring in much needed chlorine filters and water reservoirs.
Hundreds of homes have been lost and the government says some 2,000 people have been displaced, but other estimates argue that number is higher.
Those still lucky enough to have held onto their houses are busy clearing out stagnant mud and stones.
Meteorologists blame the freakish weather on El Niño, the periodic shift of warmer water in the Pacific Ocean that affects global weather patterns.
"We have increased showers in the central regions of the country and you can't deny that they have something to do with global and regional events," Peruvian meteorological expert, Jorge Chira, said.
"In this region it needs to rain some 200 millimeters a month, and in just one night it rained almost what it needs to rain in a month. Last night it rained between 60 and 70 liters per square meter. This is causing landslides, rises in river levels and it can cause disaster in these areas."
But this is not the first time El Nino has struck Peru. In 1997 and 1998, it killed some 200 people in Peru alone and destroyed property worth $3.5bn.
This time however, it is behaving differently
"El Nino is acting differently. A weak El Nino is dominating, because the axis has passed and so it is not impacting the coast as expected, it is concentrated over the jungle," Chira said.
The volume of rain has brought danger to areas with limited defenses against floods, where many villagers build their homes along the riverbanks.
The flooding has caught them by surprise, and local media reports day rescue efforts to help have so far been limited. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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