Kast Declares State of Catastrophe for Coquimbo Region and Huasco Province After Historic Storm

President José Antonio Kast decreed a constitutional State of Catastrophe for the Coquimbo Region and the Huasco Province in the Atacama Region after a frontal weather system dumped, in the government's words, 'in one hour what normally falls in a month' across the semi-arid north. SENAPRED's initial balance counted 10 dead and 4 missing nationwide (3 in Coquimbo, 1 in Atacama), with more than 2,400 people affected and over 100,000 residents cut off by road closures and washed-out bridges. The decree authorized military deployment to support search-and-rescue and restrict movement in the hardest-hit areas — the heaviest rainfall recorded in the region in 39 years. The storm began around July 15–18 and progressively worsened as it moved along the coast.