Overview
- President José Antonio Kast decreed a state of catastrophe for the Coquimbo region and Huasco province on Monday to speed and centralize the emergency response.
- National disaster agency Senapred says roughly 100,000 people remain isolated by river overflows and blocked roads while search teams work to reach cut-off communities.
- Officials report five confirmed deaths, at least four people missing, thousands of damaged homes and about 150,000 people without electricity.
- The decree allows military deployment, concentrated control of resources and temporary movement limits so authorities can clear routes, bring in aid and reopen ports and utilities.
- Meteorological services link the unusually intense event to El Niño, noting extreme hourly rainfall, gusts up to around 160 km/h and storm surge that widened the scope of damage and disruption.