Undersecretary of the Interior Máximo Pavez confirmed on Monday that the government is considering acquiring weather radars following the mudslide on Thursday, October 8, in San Carlos de Apoquindo, in Las Condes. "We are looking into it," he said on Radio Cooperativa.
According to T13, Pavez explained that Claudio Alvarado, who heads both the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of the General Secretariat of Government, instructed officials to explore ways to buy and install this equipment in Chile. He also requested possible timelines for having it available.
The undersecretary warned that this would be "a very substantial investment". "It is a large investment, because it means having several," he said, referring to the need to cover the territory with multiple units. According to BioBioChile, the idea is to move forward next year. La Tercera specified that the official provided no amounts, timelines or implementation date.
Pavez described the purchase as a project that remained pending through several administrations and that the executive branch is seeking to revive.
Regarding what happened in Las Condes, the undersecretary explained that the cloud that produced the rain "stayed in place, which is why so much water fell in a short time". "Often, under certain conditions, frontal systems change from moment to moment," he added. In his view, a radar "makes it possible to reach that level of detail".
Even so, Pavez defended the work of the Chilean Meteorological Directorate (DMC) and the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred). He said their monitoring capabilities "have been fully up to the task" and that "it was no surprise to anyone that there was moderate or heavy rainfall". The problem, according to his explanation, was anticipating that the rain would concentrate in a specific location.
Risk prevention engineer Luis Salamanca explained to Teletrece that Doppler radars emit electromagnetic waves that bounce off raindrops. This allows them to measure rainfall intensity and wind speed and direction in real time, within a radius of up to 240 kilometers.
With that information, Salamanca explained, authorities could close streets, restrict travel and alert people in exposed areas. According to the expert, these systems can predict certain dangerous events at least 30 minutes in advance.
Pavez also referred to another early warning initiative. According to T13, the 2027 Budget includes a concession for siren alarms to warn of tsunamis. That project is separate from the weather radars currently under consideration.
Meanwhile, monitoring continues in the Andean foothills. The National Geology and Mining Service (Sernageomin) raised the threat of landslides to high because the ground is saturated by winter rains. Authorities ordered a limited precautionary evacuation of Las Condes residents whose homes sustained the most damage.
The Ministry of Public Works (MOP) cleared Quebrada Honda and continues monitoring Quebrada de Macul. For Monday's frontal system, Pavez warned that between 10 and 20 millimeters falling in a short period could cause further damage. He urged people to avoid unnecessary trips to areas in the Andean foothills.
