Hundreds of families in Embarcación are dealing with severe property damage, a lack of drinking water, and temperatures nearing 40 degrees Celsius following one of the most destructive storms in recent memory.
Residents Rebuild Shelter in Salta
- More than half of the northern Salta city remained without electricity, with numerous residents also lacking potable water and reliable communications.
- Municipal teams and Vialidad have deployed to clear debris, remove fallen trees, and open blocked access routes across heavily impacted neighborhoods like Primavera, El Tentiapiado, and El Tráfico.
- Local business owners and residents are attempting to resume operations and rebuild basic shelter from scratch as the community faces a prolonged recovery effort.
A Sudden Wall of Wind and Hail
The destructive weather system hit the northern Salta locality during the afternoon hours, catching residents off guard despite earlier forecasts of thunderstorms. According to Naomi Planici, the winds escalated rapidly from a northern hot breeze into a powerful vortex that tore through roofs and uprooted trees.
“We started doing everything, but the wind kept lifting all our corrugated metal sheets anyway,” Planici told Gente de Salta. She described stepping outside after the storm to find a landscape of collapsed walls and downed utility poles.
The city’s central district and surrounding barrios suffered extensive structural failures within minutes. Planici said that while electricity was temporarily supplied via Pichanal, essential water services remained offline. “We need water. People had everything get wet, roofs blown off, mattresses and belongings soaked,” Planici told Gente de Salta.
Maintaining Operations Without Power
Amid the infrastructural paralysis, local merchants face severe operational hurdles under stifling heat conditions. Enzo Campos, a local barber, chose to keep his doors open despite the ongoing blackout. “We cannot stop working,” Campos told Gente de Salta, noting that he had received no direct institutional assistance following the disaster.
Joel Jonathan, a bakery worker living near Avenida 25 de Mayo, recalled that a prior severe storm struck in December 2013, but said the latest incident was more violent. Jonathan’s home lost almost its entire roof when an adjacent tree collapsed against a load-bearing wall.
“I have four brothers and my mom. There are five of us in total. Thank God today we have somewhere to sleep, because I have only one room left with a roof, but the rest blew away,” Jonathan told Gente de Salta. He added that the family is working to rebuild from scratch following the destruction of their living quarters.
Vulnerable Residents Face Extended Hardship
The disaster disproportionately impacted vulnerable community members, including elderly and disabled residents living alone. Gladys Beatriz Herrera, who has a physical disability, took refuge in her bathroom as the winds stripped the roof from her home and ruined her small perfume business.
“I was with my neighbor, but then I came over here. All of this, it took it away from me, made it fly away. I took refuge in the bathroom because I was very scared, I was alone and didn’t know what to do,” Herrera told Gente de Salta.
| Impact Indicator | Reported Status |
|---|---|
| Water Supply | Severely disrupted across multiple neighborhoods |
| Infrastructure Damage | Widespread roof loss, downed medium-voltage poles, blocked streets |
| Ambient Temperature | Approaching 40 degrees Celsius |
César Holguín, another local resident, surveyed the municipal damage and pointed out the resilience of the local population. “Our town was left a bit beaten up, a bit swept by nature,” Holguín told Gente de Salta. He emphasized that despite the scale of the destruction, no fatalities were reported among his acquaintances.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
