Deadly storm hits San Pedro
A severe storm struck rural San Pedro, in Misiones, on Friday afternoon, causing significant damage to at least five homes and killing a 42-year-old farmer who was in a yerba mate plantation near his house and apparently could not take shelter in time. The meteorological phenomenon, possibly a tornado, swept a 300-meter strip from Cruce Caballero to Piñalito Sur, and police are surveying the area to determine if there were more victims.[S1][S2][S3]
The deceased man was found lying on the ground of a yerba mate plantation, not far from his home, which was completely destroyed by the very strong wind gusts. Police sources said the identity and the causes of death have not yet been confirmed. The phenomenon occurred after midday. The storm, which uprooted ancient trees and brought down power lines, began near Cruce Caballero, at kilometer 1072 of National Route 14, and extended toward Piñalito Sur.[S1][S2][S3]
Power outages and emergency response
For several hours, residents of the region were without electricity and internet, telephone or cable television services due to the magnitude of the storm, which caused destruction and scattered debris across fields in the rural area of Misiones. Crews from the utility companies whose power lines were affected worked along roads and paths to repair the damage. The Misiones Police also sent several teams to the area to establish the extent of the damage and coordinate assistance to the farmers affected by the storm. The lack of cell phone signal added another difficulty for rescue teams.[S1][S2]
Initially, police sources said at least 22 homes and six sheds were completely destroyed in the agricultural area of the northern part of the province. The destroyed area is only seven kilometers from Tobuna, a rural area that was devastated by an F4 tornado on September 7, 2009, causing the deaths of eleven people and hundreds of farm animals, in addition to destroying plantations, forests and jungle. The provincial government also activated its emergency and assistance operations for families affected by the meteorological phenomenon, since between Thursday night and midday Friday several localities were under rain and strong winds.[S1][S2]
Other affected areas and forecast
In that context, Governor Hugo Passalacqua highlighted on social media the operations with which they remain in contact with mayors, surveying each situation and bringing necessary assistance, mainly in the areas of Puerto Piray, Eldorado, Montecarlo, El Soberbio and Colonia Delicia. In addition, crews from the state company Energía de Misiones are working to restore service in areas where there was damage. Another strong storm of wind and rain affected the Villa Unión area, near San Antonio, causing the fall of eight high-voltage poles, leaving the entire area without electricity. In that region, firefighters had asked the population to avoid leaving their homes unless strictly necessary due to hail and storm alerts that had been in effect since the morning.[S1][S2]
On Thursday night, the city of Eldorado, 200 kilometers from Posadas, suffered the onslaught of a storm of wind, rain and hail. The phenomenon also hit the town of Puerto Piray. In Eldorado, about 150 homes were reported affected by roof blow-offs and several cars were damaged by falling trees and power poles. This Friday, some sectors still had no power and the drinking water service was limited. The Office of Prevention against Natural Disasters of Posadas (OPAD) announced that starting this Saturday there will be a generalized improvement in weather conditions throughout the province. For this Saturday, skies with variable cloudiness but no rain are expected; while for Sunday good weather is announced, with possibilities of some isolated showers in the North area, in addition to a slight drop in temperature.[S1][S2]
