More than 2,000 evacuated as El Niño floods hit Argentina

Flooding linked to El Niño has forced more than 2,000 people from homes in northeastern Argentina. The disaster affects several provinces and has already killed two people. It matters because rivers are still rising, so displacement and danger may continue.

Chaco Province reported 1,200 to 1,300 people evacuated or leaving voluntarily. In neighbouring Corrientes Province, more than 1,000 people left their homes. In Paso de la Patria, floodwater entered houses after a protective embankment collapsed, leaving some residents surrounded by water.

The crisis is not over. Officials said river levels could keep rising and falling for a couple of months. Forecast rain in the upper Paraná and Uruguay basins may cause further rises next week. Misiones also reported damaged homes, closed roads and bridges, while tourism at Iguazú Falls remains restricted.

El Niño is a climate phenomenon marked by abnormally warm surface waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. That warmth changes atmospheric circulation, including wind and rainfall patterns in distant regions. The result can be unusually wet conditions in some places and unusually dry conditions in others.

In northeastern Argentina, recent weeks of rainfall have raised the Iguazú, Paraná and Uruguay rivers. These rivers cross or border several countries before reaching the Río de la Plata. Heavy rain across their upper basins sends more water into the river system, increasing flood risk downstream.

The immediate effects are visible across the region. More than 2,000 people have left their homes, two people drowned in Corrientes, and storms damaged more than 100 homes in Misiones. Officials expect more river rises if forecast rain reaches the upper Paraná and Uruguay basins.

The rising rivers are the Iguazú, Paraná and Uruguay. They are especially important because they run along Argentina’s northeastern borders with Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Their waters eventually flow into the Río de la Plata, connecting local rainfall to a much larger regional river system.

Their size and location mean that heavy rain upstream can affect communities far downstream. The Paraná flooded neighbourhoods in Paso de la Patria after a protective embankment failed. The Iguazú also reached an exceptional flow: at Iguazú Falls, mid-October flow was ten times the average for that time of year.

These rivers remain a continuing threat. Forecast rainfall in the upper Paraná and Uruguay basins could trigger further rises next week. River levels may repeatedly rise and fall for months, according to a Chaco Civil Protection official.

The flooding has created deadly conditions for residents and workers. Two rural workers drowned in Corrientes while moving livestock between islands. In some areas, only rooftops remain above the water, and a football pitch shows only its goal crossbar.

Homes and infrastructure have also been hit. More than 100 homes were damaged in Misiones, while storms forced roads and bridges to close. In Paso de la Patria, water entered homes after an embankment collapsed. Some residents remain surrounded by floodwater, and emergency shelters are being prepared.

Tourism has suffered at Iguazú Falls. Several tourist circuits have reopened, but access to the Devil’s Throat has stayed closed since August. The river’s mid-October flow was ten times the average for that period. Further rain could raise rivers again and prolong the disruption.

The protective embankment in Paso de la Patria failed because rising Paraná River waters placed heavy pressure on it. Once the barrier broke, water rushed into several neighbourhoods. A resident described a metre of water entering his house from one day to the next.

The collapse exposed homes and residents to fast-moving floodwater. Some people remain in their flooded houses, while others have evacuated. In places, residents are using boats, and images show rooftops and parts of a football goal above the water.

Authorities are reinforcing the remaining defences and preparing emergency shelters. Corrientes officials are also watching rainfall forecasts for the upper Paraná and Uruguay basins. More rain next week could raise river levels further, making stronger barriers and shelter arrangements increasingly important.

Residents may remain in flooded homes because they have no easy alternative or want to protect their property. One Paso de la Patria resident said people had “no other choice but to survive.” Some are still holding out in their houses while authorities strengthen flood defences.

The article gives a stark example: a metre of water entered one home after the embankment broke, and the resident spoke from a boat beside it. Other areas show only rooftops above water. These conditions make staying dangerous, but leaving can also mean abandoning a home and possessions.

Evacuation moves people away from immediate flood danger. Emergency shelters provide a temporary place to stay while authorities reinforce barriers and assess conditions. More than 2,000 people have already left homes across the region, and officials expect further river rises.

A river basin collects rainfall from a wide area. Water runs over the ground and through small streams into larger tributaries, which feed the main river. As more water arrives, the river level rises. Downstream communities may flood even when local skies are clear.

The article highlights this process in the upper Paraná and Uruguay basins. Rain falling there can travel through the river network toward towns farther downstream. The rivers may rise later, after water from distant areas has joined the system. This helps explain why officials warned of further rises next week.

Flooding can last for weeks or months when rain keeps entering the basin or river channels remain full. In Chaco, an official said levels would keep rising and falling constantly for a couple of months. Continued rainfall therefore prolongs danger, evacuation needs and pressure on flood defences.