CARACAS – Torrential rains have caused widespread flooding across Caracas and surrounding areas, overflowing rivers and streams, trapping dozens of vehicles and prompting major rescue operations after one of the most intense downpours to hit the Venezuelan capital in recent years.
The severe weather struck Saturday afternoon and evening, August 22, as Tropical Wave 40 moved across northern Venezuela. Authorities said the extraordinary volume of rainfall caused rivers and drainage channels to overflow in several parts of Greater Caracas.
One of the hardest-hit areas was the Valle-Coche highway, where rising water from the El Valle and Guaire river systems flooded the roadway. Between 60 and 70 vehicles became trapped, some carrying families and children. Several people reportedly climbed onto the roofs of their vehicles while waiting to be rescued.
Nahum Fernández, head of the Government of the Capital District, said approximately 20 people were injured in the flooding along Valle-Coche. Rescue and emergency teams were deployed throughout the affected areas to assist motorists and clear roads.
According to another official assessment, the amount of rain that fell over parts of Caracas was equivalent to roughly two months of precipitation in just 45 minutes.
The emergency has also resulted in people being reported missing. In Caracas, a mother and her son were swept away by the current after a river overflowed. Authorities initially reported both as missing while rescue teams searched the affected waterways.
Elsewhere, rescue teams were searching for a couple whose vehicle fell into a stream in Guaicaipuro municipality in neighboring Miranda state. Their daughter was rescued and taken to a hospital. Authorities reported at least 36 damaged homes there in an initial assessment after more than four hours of heavy rain.
Two other people were reported missing in Aragua state after their vehicle was swept away by a swollen river, bringing the initial number of missing persons reported across the affected areas to at least six.
The situation was particularly serious in La Vega, where overflowing waterways sent mud, debris and garbage into homes, businesses and streets. Residents spent Sunday cleaning properties after floodwaters receded.
Other areas of Caracas also reported flooded roads, fallen trees and damage to infrastructure. Traffic was restricted along parts of the Pan-American Highway, while flooding was reported around Coche and other southwestern sectors of the capital.
Venezuelan authorities activated the country's Civil Protection system in response to the emergency. Firefighters, police, Civil Protection personnel and other emergency services were deployed to rescue people, remove stranded vehicles and reopen major roads.
The flooding once again highlighted Caracas' vulnerability to extreme rainfall. Residents in some affected communities told EFE that overflowing streams and flooding have become recurring problems during periods of intense rain, with some pointing to inadequate maintenance and garbage accumulation in drainage channels as factors that worsen the situation.
Authorities continued assessing damage and conducting search operations as conditions improved.