Last updated:
20 minutes ago
A powerful storm surge flooded the Chilean coastal town of Penco on Thursday 16 July 2026, leaving streets and homes under water as emergency crews evacuated residents and authorities warned people to stay away from the shoreline.
Footage shows flooded roads across the town centre, a police officer helping a woman leave her waterlogged home, residents bailing water from their houses with buckets, and damaged boats scattered along the coast as large waves continue to batter the shoreline.
The storm surge struck Chile's central coast, killing at least three people, according to authorities. In the Biobío region, seawater inundated homes in the Malaquías Concha and Barrio Chino neighbourhoods, forcing evacuations, while wind gusts reached 118 km/h at Carriel Sur weather station. Around 90 mm of rain fell in nearby Concepción, where part of a shopping centre's façade was ripped away by the strong winds.
