Manta, Montecristi, Portoviejo Ecuador: Heavy rains floods houses, bridge collapses

Flooded houses and bridge collapsed by heavy rain in Manabí
Neptalí Palma/eluniverso.com

Manta-Montecristi-Portoviejo

The barking of his dog alerted María Flores. It was almost 01:00 this Thursday and the water was already at the height of the mattress of his bed. Had it not been for her pet, she believes her fate would have been fatal.

Flores resides near the bank of the Muerto river, located in the citadel Divino Niño de Manta, which overflowed after the heavy downpour that fell between the night of Wednesday and dawn of Thursday. It was nearly seven hours of rainfall that supported several Manabi cantons.

Hugo Párraga, Flores’s neighbor firefighter, said he heard her screams and, along with her children, proceeded to remove the woman and her two offspring, 3 and 5 years old.

“The water reached the waist, we had to put a cape from side to side and proceeded to rescue her … She was on her bed with her children,” said Parraga, who yesterday welcomed her neighbor, who could only rescue a few clothes because Their belongings were taken by the river.

The most unfortunate thing was that the bridge connecting the Divino Niño citadel with the citadel El Palmar gave in to the force of the water. Manuel Saltos, a neighbor of that sector, said it was heard like an explosion when the bridge fell, but more concern existed for safeguarding his things, because he feared that the river would take them.

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In Ceibo Renacer sector, where families affected by the earthquake have been relocated, a large lagoon was formed in houses donated by several private companies. One of the neighbors in that area who did not want to identify said that now the great fear will be the presence of mosquitoes.

While Yolanda Anchundia, one of the beneficiaries of the houses built with resources that ex-President Lenin Moreno obtained when collaborating with the UN, lost all the water that was stored in the cistern that is in the exterior of his house, because The strong chain dragged stone material from the outside of his home and plugged the cubicle.

In Montecristi, however, about 50 houses were flooded throughout the canton. In the Colorado parish alone, ten homes were filled with mud and their members had to ask for help from firefighters and the military to evacuate their property.

Wendy Proano, a Colorado parish resident, said her house was filled with mud on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, his neighbor Augusto Lopez asked the Municipality of Montecristi machinery to remove the mud and fears that the winter increased the affectations.

In the Abdón Calderón parish, the temporary pedestrian bridges that joined this parish with the Naranjal community gave way to the flooding of the Chico River.

Juan Farías, president of the parish council of this town belonging to Portoviejo, said about 200 families were held incommunicado, although he anticipates that the problem will be solved tomorrow, as they will locate another temporary bridge.

In Rio Chico parish, some 60 homes (including those affected by the earthquake) were flooded after the flooding of the river. Veronica Vargas, president of the parish board of this locality, indicated that some people had to with their effort to locate their property in good condition.

The strong surf Tuesday pushed a lot of sand toward the Crucita’s boardwalk. Filerma Alcívar, who along with other people had to work hard to remove the sand, put it in sacks and clean the dining room Monserrate, is alert in case of a similar event in the next few hours.

Esmeraldas
Ten homes were affected by floods in the Vista de Mar sector in Atacames. Also due to the rains and overflow of the Cocoroco River, five affected houses are reported in the Santa Rosa sector.

Roads
Until Thursday, four roads were closed in Pichincha, Imbabura and Loja Read Article