The National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred) sent an official notice this Saturday to ten municipalities in the Metropolitan Region asking them to convene their municipal Disaster Risk Management Committees (Cogrid). The reason is the rain forecast for the week of October 12 to 16.
According to Cooperativa, the notice bears the signature of the agency's national director, Alicia Cebrián. It instructs mayors to activate the protocols of the National Disaster Prevention and Response System (Sinapred), governed by Law 21,364 and a Ministry of the Interior decree.
The municipalities notified are Colina, Lo Barnechea, Las Condes, Vitacura, Peñalolén, La Reina, La Florida, San José de Maipo, Puente Alto and Pirque. All are under red alert and face a risk of mass movements or flooding. The Metropolitan Regional Presidential Delegation also received the document.
Cogrid committees are municipal bodies that bring together the municipality and emergency agencies to plan disaster response. Senapred explained that these meetings help "focus preparation efforts, identify response capabilities" and, if an emergency occurs, properly restore the worst-affected areas.
Undersecretary of the Interior Máximo Pavez asked mayors to convene the committees this Sunday and, starting Monday morning, deploy field observers in all areas where ravines could become active. According to Emol, the ministry seeks to prevent a repeat of this week's debris flow in Las Condes.
Pavez recalled that, under the law, the municipality is the first level of response and preparation. The sources do not detail specific instructions for residents. The recommendation is to follow notices from each municipality and Senapred.
The notice cites the Chilean Meteorological Directorate (DMC), which warns that El Niño will remain present in the coming months, with possible above-normal rainfall and extreme events.
Senapred said it would maintain continuous monitoring alongside the Ministry of the Interior and the Regional Presidential Delegation. It will provide regular reports for the duration of the rainfall in central Chile, forecast to last until October 16.
