Intense storm at Triple Frontier opens Itaipu gates

The El Niño phenomenon generated intense precipitation in the area that includes Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil), Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) and Puerto Iguazú (Argentina), home to more than 900,000 inhabitants. The Itaipu dam opened its gates on the Paraná River at 9 a.m. on October 12, releasing 17,318 m³/s, the highest flow of the past twelve months. The Paraná River flooded beaches and piers in Ituzaingó and raised concerns in Apipé.

GOES-19 satellite detected 19,000 lightning strikes between midnight on October 11 and 3:40 p.m. on October 12, according to Brazil's National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet). Argentine radar in Bernardo de Irigoyen recorded, at 4:03 a.m., a core of severe precipitation over Foz. An hour later, the Iguaçu Falls registered 11,831 m³/s, 7.9 times the usual average of 1,500 m³/s.

In Puerto Iguazú, the water gauge showed a height of 26.10 m at 6 a.m., prompting the Argentine Naval Prefecture to suspend cross-border traffic, boat tours and sport navigation. In Ciudad del Este, the Acaraymí stream overflowed, flooding homes in the San Rafael neighborhood and forcing the municipal administration and the Itaipu Binational Entity to evacuate 60 families.

The Itaipu Binational Special Flood Commission forecasts a gradual rise in the Paraná River level, which has already reached 110.50 m. Inmet maintains an orange alert for Puerto Iguazú and Foz do Iguaçu, along with a severe storm warning and a hail possibility in the Alto Paraná department.

Source: https://www.canal12misiones.com/noticias-de-misiones/sociedad/fuerte-temporal-y-crecida-de-rios-en-la-triple-frontera