TARIJA, Bolivia – A powerful and highly unusual thunderstorm swept through the southern Bolivian city of Tarija on the afternoon of Thursday, October 16, unleashing torrential rains and a devastating hailstorm that buried parts of the city in ice. Streets were left impassable, rooftops collapsed, and entire neighborhoods were plunged into chaos.
The storm struck with little warning, and the intense rainfall and hail quickly overwhelmed the city’s drainage systems, flooding streets and homes, damaging schools, and forcing local authorities to activate an emergency response.In one video, Mayor Torres Terzo stands knee-deep in the ice, holding a meter stick to show the surreal depth of the hail — estimated to be over 50 cm (1.6 feet) in some areas.
“This year is an atypical, very problematic year,” said Mayor Johnny Torres Terzo in a public address. “We’ve had fires, now we have ice.”
Video footage released by the Gobierno Autónomo Municipal de Tarija captured surreal scenes across the city. Residents and workers were seen shoveling through knee-deep piles of hail, while backhoes and tractors were deployed to clear entire blocks where hail had formed solid ice masses.
🇧🇴🌨️ Intensa lluvia y granizo causa estragos en diferentes zonas de Tarija #Bolivia
— Noticiero Promar Tv (@notipromar) October 17, 2025
Una intensa lluvia y granizada sorprendió a los tarijeños la tarde de este jueves 16 de octubre, causando una serie de daños en diferentes zonas de la capital Chapaca.
Calles anegadas, viviendas… pic.twitter.com/cHJGn736dX
According to a statement from the Unidad de Gestión de Riesgo (Municipal Risk Management Unit), the storm caused extensive damage across multiple zones, including flooded streets, collapsed metal roofing structures, inundated homes, and blocked storm drains, which worsened urban flooding.
One particularly affected area was Víbora Negra, where hail blocked stormwater drains and led to localized flooding. City officials were forced to dispatch heavy machinery, including tractors, to break up and remove the massive hail blocks that had accumulated.
Though hailstorms are not unheard of in Bolivia, the scale and intensity of this storm is extremely rare — with ice accumulating in volumes more typical of snowfall than hail.
Despite the severe damage, no injuries or fatalities have been reported so far — a result of swift coordination among emergency personnel and community efforts.
While no immediate link to climate phenomena has been officially stated, this storm adds to a growing trend of climate anomalies across South America. Local scientists and global meteorologists alike continue to warn that climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, from droughts and wildfires to storms and flash flooding.
