A storm with hail and lightning hit Santiago for more than an hour on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 13. It left waterlogged streets, flooded underpasses and power outages that at their peak affected more than 36 thousand households.
According to BioBioChile, the heavy rainfall disrupted traffic in various parts of the Metropolitan Region. Traffic lights were also out at several intersections.
Transporte Informa, the region's traffic information service, reported the first closure at 17:15. The closure affected the Lira underpass at Alameda because the road had flooded with rainwater. According to a post by the @TTISantiago account on X, municipal staff arrived at the site and diverted traffic via Diagonal Paraguay.
At 17:29, the same agency warned on X of traffic lights out at several locations across the region. It asked drivers to approach those intersections defensively.
One minute later, at 17:30, traffic was suspended on Carlos Dittborn, between Ñuñoa and Santiago, because the underpass had flooded. Vehicles traveling along Ñuble were diverted toward Vicuña Mackenna.
At 17:42, the Eduardo Castillo Velasco underpass, in the Villa Frei area, in Ñuñoa, was also closed because of accumulated water. Transporte Informa recommended avoiding the area.
According to ADN Radio, traffic in Las Condes remained restricted within the area affected by the San Carlos de Apoquindo mudslide to facilitate the removal of debris and sediment.
The sources reviewed do not report any Metro station closures or the number of people injured. They also do not specify what time power was restored.
Traffic authorities recommended avoiding unnecessary travel through flooded areas and on foothill roads. At the time of publication, the Lira, Carlos Dittborn and Eduardo Castillo Velasco underpasses remained closed to traffic.