Neuquén se prepara para nuevas tormentas: clave para evitar que el agua bloquee las calles

La begins with an everyday object in a home: the kitchen table, where someone checks the weather before the storm arrives. In Neuquén, the next hours will be marked by heavy rain, gusts and occasional hail. The yellow alert covers the entire province, and the forecast projects rainfall between 10 and 35 millimeters, with higher totals possible in some areas.

The situation is especially delicate because the current week’s precipitation already exceeded the local annual average. The city’s drainage system is therefore receiving a double demand: saturated soil and faster runoff from the heights toward the river. In other words, every additional millimeter can make streets more vulnerable to flooding and make blocked drains even more consequential.

Los residuos pueden tapar el sistema y provocar anegamientos

Municipal crews have already worked preventively on storm drains, covered channels and open channels. Neuquén has 360 storm drains, and their ability to carry water depends largely on being free from trash. TheOTS Tears of the system are not only created by leaves or mud; bottles, cardboard, plastic and bags left on the street or turned over from bins can accumulate at the grates and obstruct the flow.

Cristian Haspert,_audio commenter and subspéc of Urban Cleanup, explained that the most common problem is a blockage inside the drainage system. When water covers a block from one end to the other, crews may need one or two days to wait for the level to recede before entering the conduits and removing the obstruction.

““Se puede caer una persona, un animal o un vehículo, porque si hay mucha agua no lo ves”, advirtió Cristian Haspert.”Cristian Haspert, subsecretario de Limpieza Urbana

Haspert’s warning is central to the recommendations: residents should not lift storm-drain grates under any circumstance. The grates do not stop water; they help prevent waste from entering and blocking the system. When runoff is high, the opening beneath the grate may be invisible, and removing the cover can expose people, animals and vehicles to a dangerous fall.

• Limpiar las canaletas de la vivienda antes de que comience la tormenta.
• Postergar la salida de la basura hasta el viernes, una vez que se levante la alerta, para evitar que bolsas y residuos terminen sobre las rejas.
• No levantar las rejas de los sumideros, incluso si el agua está descendiendo.
• No circular por sectores anegados cuando no sea posible estimar la profundidad del agua.
• Revisar el estado de los desagües y mantener los cestos de residuos bien cerrados.

For Friday, the forecast is expected to improve and the instability should begin to ease. Until then, the safest approach is to prepare the house, keep the drainage system clear and avoid entering flooded areas. On the kitchen table, a phone showing the weather alert can be the reminder that, in Neuquén, a simple precaution at home may make the difference between a manageable storm and a blocked street.