The city of Santiago experienced a remarkable meteorological event on Thursday, October 30, when an astonishing 61.9 millimeters of rain fell within 24 hours. This figure, which triples the region’s historical average, was confirmed by Juan Salas, the executive director of Civil Defense, who labeled the occurrence as “unprecedented” in recent memory. Salas noted that previous records had never exceeded 22 millimeters, making this event truly extraordinary. The heavy rainfall, attributed to the remnants of Hurricane Melissa and an active trough over the Cibao region, led to temporary flooding in several areas, including Los Jardines, Hoya de Caimitos, and 27 de Febrero Avenue. Despite the severity of the situation, the city managed to return to normalcy within hours, thanks to the swift and coordinated response of emergency agencies and municipal brigades. This incident underscores the urgent need to enhance urban drainage systems and bolster mitigation efforts in regions susceptible to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather phenomena.
Unprecedented rains hit Santiago: historical volume triples in less than 24 hours
