A rare and prolonged winter storm fueled by a powerful atmospheric river has battered Chile, bringing historic rainfall, flash flooding, and heavy mountain snowfall that have killed at least 13 people, left four missing, and disrupted communities and critical infrastructure across much of the country.
The event affected ten regions from northern to southern Chile after a succession of Pacific frontal systems moved inland beginning on July 14. Authorities said more than 3,500 people have been directly affected, while over 61,000 residents remained isolated after floodwaters washed out roads, damaged bridges, and cut access to remote communities. Thousands of homes also lost electricity and drinking water.
Localidad de Culimo (Embalse Culimo) Valle de Quilimarí "baden" totalmente destruido, vecinos cruzando por el río para llevar Agua/mercadería a sus hogares@MeteoLaSerena @QuilpueMeteo @RedGeoChile @elfabyrayo @Sepulinares @redcomunales @TiempometVx @ClimaCoquimbo @deZabedrosky pic.twitter.com/40XCn7MgK8
— Noah ✴ ⭐👽⭐ ✴ (@Alexand29231889) July 26, 2026
Unlike a typical winter storm, this event was driven by multiple frontal systems that crossed Chile over several days, preventing rivers from receding before additional rainfall arrived. The storms were fueled by a Category 5 atmospheric river, the highest rating on the international Atmospheric River Scale. These long, narrow corridors of moisture transport carry enormous amounts of water vapor from the Pacific Ocean, dramatically increasing precipitation when they make landfall.
Meteorologists described the rainfall as historic for a country that has endured years of drought. In some parts of the Coquimbo Region, rainfall totals approached 275 millimeters (10.8 inches), an extraordinary amount for an area that normally receives only a fraction of that over an entire year.
CHILE / 25 DE JULIO DE 2026.
— Crónica Mundial 🇸🇻 🌎 (@CronicaMundial_) July 25, 2026
El Islón se levanta tras temporal que arrasó con todo, dejando viviendas dañadas, caminos bloqueados y un despliegue de emergencia en La Serena. pic.twitter.com/KvjbBc14Og
Authorities described the event as exceptional not only because of its intensity but also because of its duration and geographic extent. President José Antonio Kast said Chile had been impacted by a combination of strong winds, torrential rain, heavy mountain snow, and powerful coastal waves, all generated by the same large-scale weather pattern.
The northern regions of Coquimbo, Atacama, Huasco Province, and Tierra Amarilla suffered some of the worst flooding. Rivers overflowed, flash floods and debris flows swept through communities, streets became inundated, and schools were forced to close. According to Chile’s National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (SENAPRED), more than 176,000 electricity customers in Coquimbo remained without power during the peak of the emergency, while over 20,000 people from Atacama to La Araucanía lost access to drinking water. Emergency crews airlifted more than 176 metric tons (194 US tons) of food, drinking water, tools, and other essential supplies to isolated communities.
The weather emergency has continued even after the heaviest rainfall eased. On July 25, SENAPRED issued a Red Alert for the communes of Molina and Curicó in the Maule Region after the Palos River reached its critical level, significantly increasing the risk of flooding. Authorities said the highest alert level would remain in effect as long as necessary to mobilize all available emergency resources. Although rainfall has diminished, rivers can continue rising for hours or even days as runoff from the Andes flows downstream.
Cubierto de nieve, así está el camino a Chile por San Juan
— Tiempo de San Juan (@tiempodesanjuan) July 26, 2026
Video gentileza: Vialidad Nacional pic.twitter.com/xUtIVz0d96
The Andes Mountains played a crucial role in shaping the storm’s impacts. As moisture-laden Pacific air was forced up the mountain slopes, it cooled rapidly, producing intense precipitation through orographic lift. At lower elevations, the persistent rainfall generated dangerous flash flooding, while above the freezing level, the same moisture fell as heavy snow across mining districts more than 3,000 meters (9,840 feet) above sea level.
The snowfall disrupted transportation, power supplies, and operations at several of Chile’s largest copper mines. Lundin Mining suspended operations at its Caserones copper and molybdenum mine after snow interrupted electricity supplies. Antofagasta temporarily halted mining and processing at its Los Pelambres operation, while Barrick Mining evacuated workers from a remote camp by helicopter following several days of severe weather. State-owned producer Codelco also temporarily suspended operations at major mines, including El Teniente, because of hazardous snow conditions.
The storm also highlighted the growing vulnerability of critical infrastructure to extreme weather. Chile is the world’s largest producer of copper, a metal essential for electricity grids, renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence data centers. Temporary disruptions at several major mines renewed concerns that increasingly volatile weather could create more frequent interruptions to global supply chains.
Forecasts indicate the strongest atmospheric river has now shifted east into Argentina, allowing high pressure to bring more stable conditions across northern Chile. However, meteorologists are already monitoring another weaker atmospheric river and frontal system expected to reach central and southern Chile later this week. While rainfall is forecast to remain closer to seasonal averages, saturated soils and elevated river levels mean even moderate precipitation could prolong flooding in some areas.
