Argentina’s coastal city of Bahía Blanca reeled from devastating floods that claimed at least 15 lives, with dozens still unaccounted for, following torrential rains that began on Friday. The deluge dumped over 400 millimeters (15.7 inches) of rain in just eight hours—more than half the city’s typical annual rainfall—transforming streets into rivers and submerging homes, hospitals, and infrastructure. Rescue teams, battling treacherous conditions, continued searching for survivors, including two young girls and two adults swept away by the floodwaters.
The city, located 600 kilometers southwest of Buenos Aires, saw over 1,450 residents evacuated, a number that peaked at 1,321 before dropping to 850 as waters receded slightly by Saturday. Among the chaos, the José Penna Hospital was inundated, forcing the dramatic evacuation of its neonatal and intensive care units. Heart-wrenching scenes of nurses and army personnel rescuing newborns underscored the crisis’s severity. Authorities reported 12 inches (300 millimeters) of rain in recent days, dwarfing the historical monthly average of 5 inches, leaving Bahía Blanca’s outdated drainage systems overwhelmed.
The Argentine government has deployed helicopters, ambulances, and coast guard boats, while President Javier Milei’s administration allocated 10 billion pesos ($9.2 million) for emergency aid and reconstruction. National Security Minister Patricia Bullrich called the city “destroyed,” a sentiment echoed by residents who lost everything. This disaster follows a deadly 2023 windstorm that killed 13, exposing Bahía Blanca’s vulnerability—a 2012 CONICET study had warned of such risks due to poor infrastructure, yet little was done.
Criticism has swirled on social media, with some blaming provincial neglect under Governor Axel Kicillof, while others question Milei’s year-old government despite its new federal emergency agency. With no rain forecast for the next 72 hours, focus shifts to rescue and recovery in a city battered by nature and haunted by missed warnings.