The weather front affecting central and southern Chile has left more than 300 homes affected, according to La Tercera, which cited the assessment released Thursday morning by the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred), the state agency that coordinates emergency response.
According to the report, three homes were destroyed: two in the Valparaíso Region and one in the Coquimbo Region. Another 15 have major damage, 271 have minor damage and 90 remain under assessment.
Of the homes with minor damage, 130 are in the municipality of Hualpén, in the Biobío Region, due to flooding and leaks. In Arauco, Senapred warned of a threat to homes from a possible landslide in the Villa El Mirador area. According to the agency, the community there has "a high level of exposure and vulnerability".
The assessment lists 31 people as disaster victims, 178 in shelters and 40 cut off. Of those in shelters, 104 are in the Metropolitan Region, following the preventive evacuation of the Valle Hermoso and El Sueño de Todos informal settlements.
Senapred's national director, Alicia Cebrián, said Lampa Creek has not overflowed, according to the Directorate of Hydraulic Works. She added that the service is monitoring the situation of 35 people cut off by the overflow of Colina Creek, in the municipality of the same name.
According to the Superintendency of Electricity and Fuels (SEC), more than 14 thousand people remained without electricity nationwide. Most are in the Biobío (7,547), Maule (3,119) and La Araucanía (2,118) regions.
The Ministry of Public Works reported 17 roads cut off, 13 in Coquimbo and four in Valparaíso. Water flows were also activated in 12 ravines in Coquimbo.
The Chilean Meteorological Directorate maintains an alert for moderate to strong winds in the Coquimbo Region. An advisory is also in effect for possible thunderstorms, with potential hail and strong gusts, between the Coquimbo and Biobío regions.
Advisories remain in effect for rainfall in the Maule, Ñuble and Biobío regions, and for possible thunderstorms in La Araucanía, Los Ríos and Los Lagos. Cebrián urged people to stay informed through official channels, avoid exposing themselves to risks and follow emergency agencies' instructions.