Central Chile Floods: Police Airlift Residents as Mapocho River Overflows

Thu Oct 08 2026 19:41:08 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

After heavy rains, the Mapocho River burst its banks in Talagante, forcing police to airlift residents amid rising floodwaters.

Stormy weather caused the Mapocho River to overflow in the outskirts of Santiago, sweeping residents out of homes and into the air. Police helicopters rescued people and pets from rapidly rising waters that turned dirt roads into rivers. Tentatively a victim was found dead in a flooded underpass in San Bernardo, while authorities confirm no further fatalities. Climate experts warn that the 2026‑2027 El Niño episode will bring more extreme rainfall to the region.

Central Chile Floods: Police Airlift Residents as Mapocho River Overflows

Police in central Chile have airlifted several residents to safety after rising floodwaters left them trapped in their homes.

The torrential rains flooded large parts of Talagante, 35 km southwest of Santiago, when the Mapocho River burst its banks. The city has seen 74 mm of rainfall in the first week of October, the wettest for the region in 76 years, according to meteorologists.

Officials report that one person was found dead in a flooded underpass in San Bernardo, but the cause of death remains unconfirmed. Meanwhile, police used helicopters to rescue people and pets who were caught by the fast‑rising waters overnight. Unlike the July storms, the community had not been evacuated ahead of the heavy downpours, and dirt roads had turned into rivers.

Climate experts warn that the 2026‑2027 El Niño will likely bring above‑average rainfall to central Chile and intensify droughts elsewhere. The current flooding is seen as a clear manifestation of the changing weather patterns associated with this strong El Niño event.