Winter has been more destructive even without the presence of El Niño

The heavy rains that hit the country leave, so far, new disasters: flooded cities (Santa Ana, Portoviejo, Milagro, Machala), more than two thousand people evacuated, destroyed roads, school classrooms converted into bedrooms.

The situation leads authorities to declare the emergency in the country. The resolution, issued by the Secretariat of Risk Management (SGR) on March 31, aims to “provide humanitarian assistance and carry out all immediate actions” to address the problems that are occurring in the country.

7 provinces were declared in orange alert before these events: Manabí, Guayas, Santa Elena, Esmeraldas, Los Ríos, El Oro, and Loja.

And it is precisely the first of those mentioned, Manabí, the hardest hit by the rains. According to the SGR, due to the rising waters of the Portoviejo river, 2,500 families were affected last weekend. And the figure continues to increase because at dawn and yesterday morning, the Mejía, El Tomate, and El Limón sectors, connected by the Portoviejo-Crucita road, were flooded when the river waters rose again.