According to Emol, Undersecretary of the Interior Máximo Pavez defended the work of the agencies that monitor rainfall. His comments followed the mudslide that affected San Carlos de Apoquindo, in Las Condes, last week. He also said the government would seek to purchase weather radars.
In an interview with Radio Cooperativa, Pavez maintained that the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred) and the Chilean Meteorological Directorate "have delivered" on their forecasts. He added that the country's capabilities for tracking weather fronts associated with El Niño "have been fully up to the task".
However, the official acknowledged a limitation. He explained that weather fronts often change from minute to minute because of localized conditions. Radars would provide greater precision in detecting those changes.
That was what happened in the municipality in eastern Santiago. According to Pavez, the cloud "stayed in place", which caused a large amount of rain to fall in a short time. The new equipment would allow more detailed warnings of that type of situation.
The undersecretary described the purchase as a project that has been pending for several administrations. So far, no government has carried it out. Emol does not report costs or equipment models.
The episode reveals a clear tension. The government supports its technical agencies but acknowledges that tools are lacking to anticipate intense, concentrated rainfall. For residents of areas exposed to ravines, those few minutes can determine whether an evacuation happens in time.
Pavez said the project had been proposed for next year. He cautioned, however, that it represents "a major investment", because it involves acquiring several radars. No figures or timelines have yet been set.
