The city of Bahía Blanca in Argentina’s Buenos Aires province was devastated by torrential rains and severe flooding over the weekend, causing extensive damage to roads, bridges and other infrastructure that local authorities say will require no less than 400bn pesos (US$375mn) to repair.
The city received the equivalent of 70% of its average annual rainfall in just eight hours, forcing evacuations and producing a death toll of at least 16 people, mayor Federico Susbielles reported at a press conference.
By Sunday night, local power utility EDES had managed to restore supply to 65% of the areas affected, the city government announced via social media.
The flooding caused severe damage to roads, with sections of national routes No. 3 and No. 252 remaining closed and authorities urging extreme caution for those traveling on other roads. Susbielles stressed the need for rapid collaboration with national highway authority Vialidad Nacional to restore key transportation routes, particularly national route No. 3, which is vital for cargo transport.
Nearly all bridges crossing the Maldonado canal, which separates the north of Bahia Blanca from its center, were either destroyed or badly damaged. The canal itself will also need to be rebuilt.
The city is seeking international financial support and is awaiting announcements from the governor of Buenos Aires province, Axel Kicillof.
An the federal level, economy minister Luis Caputo announced via social media that 10bn pesos would be allocated to Bahía Blanca, though no official confirmation has yet been issued. President Javier Milei has enacted a policy of minimizing public spending on infrastructure.
This disaster comes after severe floods hit Bahía Blanca in December 2023, resulting in 13 deaths. Susbielles noted that the city is still dealing with the effects of that event as it now faces this new crisis.
