La Plata city government launched an online map on Monday showing residents how to get to safety during a flood. This comes after 140mm of rain fell on the city last Thursday, causing inundations that forced 280 people to leave their homes.

Residents can click on their neighborhood to see whether their street is at risk of flooding. A visual map of nearby river basins can then be downloaded. A color gradient shows where severe flooding is most likely and the areas that are not at risk. 

The map shows useful services including health centers, schools, and fire stations. Places to avoid, safe transport routes and meeting points are also listed. It can be viewed here.

“In situations of emergency, time is critical,” said La Plata Mayor Julio Garro as the map was launched. “For that reason it is very important to have access to specific and personalized information in order to know what to do, where to go and who to communicate with.” 

The bad weather has continued: La Plata municipality decided to keep a yellow weather warning in place on Tuesday morning after heavy rains fell overnight, accompanied by gusts of up to 93 km/h. 

Residents have been advised to take safety precautions, including staying indoors, avoiding trees and lamp posts, and removing objects that could fall from balconies, such as plant pots. They were also advised not to take out the trash, since stray garbage can block storm drains.

Argentina is gearing up for heavier rainfall than usual and intense storms as the world returns to the El Niño cycle. This natural climatic phenomenon causes tropical cyclones in the Pacific and increases rainfall and flood risks, and goes hand in hand with extreme heat. 

This could help Argentina’s agricultural sector to recover from the drought that slashed harvests of key export crops including soybeans in the 2023 campaign, according to Santiago Manoukian, head of research at consulting firm Ecolantina. 

However, Soledad Pérez Duhalde, director of operations at consulting firm Abeceb, pointed out last month that “we’re seeing climate change around the world, and the usual long-term forecasts are often not met. Climate change is a problem that must be placed on the agenda and addressed.”

In April 2013, floods in La Plata killed 89 people and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

-with information from Télam