Cuenca Braces for More Heavy Rains After Carnival Flooding Damaged Homes and Crops

It Already Hit Hard Once

If you live near San Joaquín or ever shop at the Feria Libre, you should know about what happened in Barabón Chico on Saturday, February 14.

Heavy rains caused drainage canals to overflow, flooding homes and wiping out crops in this agricultural community just west of Cuenca's center. Barabón Chico is one of the main farming areas that supplies produce to the Feria Libre — so when their fields flood, it ripples through the city's food supply.

Patricio Pizarro, a local resident, spent about $500 repairing flood damage to his home — floors, doors, and walls all took a hit when the canal water rushed in. His neighbor María Elena Peña lost an entire planting of cabbage and zucchini she'd just put in the ground.

Residents blame the flooding on a combination of heavy rain and clogged canals — they say debris has narrowed the waterways and maintenance hasn't kept up.

What's the Forecast?

According to meteorologist Cristina Argoti from INAMHI (the National Meteorology Institute), here's what Cuenca can expect:

• Through Sunday, Feb 23: Partly cloudy skies with afternoon storms after 5:00 PM, accompanied by lightning. Intensity is gradually decreasing.
• Starting next week: Rains will intensify again. February and March are historically the wettest months in the sierra.
• The pattern: Expect relatively calm mornings and stormy afternoons/evenings for the foreseeable future.

How Is the City Preparing?

The Municipality of Cuenca isn't waiting around. They've deployed a contingency plan with:

• 2,966 resources — that includes personnel, heavy equipment, and operational materials
• Specialists and technicians positioned at strategic points around the city
• Machinery ready for debris clearance and emergency response

The Transportation Ministry has also activated resources, with agreements in place with the Azuay Prefecture for highway support and debris clearance on major roads.

What Expats Should Do

If You Live in a Flood-Prone Area

San Joaquín, Barabón, Sayausí, and areas along the rivers (especially the Yanuncay and Tarqui) are most vulnerable. If you're near a river or in a low-lying area:

• Don't park in underground garages during heavy afternoon storms
• Keep important documents elevated — store them upstairs or in waterproof containers
• Know your nearest evacuation point — your building's portero or neighborhood president can tell you
• Have flashlights and charged power banks ready — storms can knock out electricity

For Everyone

• Plan outdoor activities for mornings. The rain pattern is consistent: clear mornings, storms after 5 PM.
• Carry an umbrella or rain jacket if you're going out after 3 PM. This sounds obvious but every Carnival weekend we see tourists and expats caught in downpours in nothing but shorts and flip-flops.
• Watch the rivers. If you walk or jog along the Tomebamba or Yanuncay, check water levels before getting too close to the banks. River levels can rise fast after upstream storms.
• Monitor INAMHI for alerts at inamhi.gob.ec

The Bigger Picture

February and March are always the peak rainy season in the Ecuadorian sierra, and Cuenca is no exception. This isn't unusual weather — but the damage in Barabón Chico highlights how infrastructure maintenance (or the lack of it) can turn a normal rainy season into a crisis for vulnerable communities.

The city's emergency response seems well-organized on paper. Let's hope the canals get cleaned before the next big storm arrives.

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Sources: El Mercurio, INAMHI