Within the framework of the coordination of actions led by the Emergency Operations Committee (COE) and Civil Defense, details were provided regarding the evacuation operations for those living in flood-prone areas.
In this sense, in order to carry out the operations quickly, effectively, and safely in the face of rising river levels, affected families are requested to call 103 to report their intention to be relocated, whether to evacuation centers or private homes, as well as to report complications or needs arising from the hydrological situation.
Both the COE and Civil Defense are taking the necessary precautions, following the corresponding protocols. The experience from previous floods and the work of recent years have allowed for tight coordination between forces and institutions to mitigate the impact of the rising water.
The municipal director of Risk Management, Mauricio Alegre, explained in this regard that “through 103 we receive all calls for relocation and evacuation. Priority is given to those families most affected by the river situation, but all requests are handled as quickly as possible. To this end, we are working in coordination with both the army and all civil defense institutions,” he assured.
“Although we have been recommending for several weeks that people living in riverside areas prepare themselves, the rapid rise in water levels has accelerated the timelines and projections. We understand people's concern and we are responding to all calls,” added Alegre.
“All requests and complaints are being received at 103 because the dispatch of trucks, ambulances, food, and everything necessary according to the situation is organized from there,” he maintained.
Regarding the operations, he commented: “At the Convention Center, we have the entire vehicle fleet involved, and from there, all the people collaborating to relocate and evacuate families are organized. We are moving families to both evacuation centers and private homes. So far, 101 families have been relocated through their call to 103. Of these, we have 34 families in evacuation centers and 67 who are in private homes,” he detailed.
For the moment, the centers are located at the Carretera La Cruz Shelter, the Polifunctional Gymnasium (Municipal Clinic for Athletes), the former Bagley site, and the Villa Adela hall.
LFamilies housed in municipal shelters receive permanent assistance and support from the different areas of the local government, including the Secretariat of Social Development and the Secretariat of Health, which provides medical care.
The agencies involved in the tasks also requested that those families who decided to self-evacuate inform of their situation by calling 103 or, preferably, by approaching the Convention Center, in order to keep an updated record of all families in the affected areas.
VARIOUS FRONTS OF ACTION
From the Secretariat of Health, the Municipal Comprehensive Emergency Service - SIMES - is available for the different evacuation centers. Likewise, the team from the Extramuros program of said municipal department will carry out general check-ups for the evacuated families and the appointment systems of the nearest CAPS will be made available.
Likewise, UDAAPA is working on the care and relocation of animals in different spaces, based on work from municipal centers and various NGOs.
The Transit and Transportation Center is carrying out assistance and traffic management tasks during moves and evacuations, for which different teams and shifts of traffic agents and tow trucks are available for any eventuality. Likewise, it was reported that the streets Pueblos Originarios (at the height of Club Comercio), Scattini (in front of the Wanders club field), and Maciel (in front of the Rotary Club) are temporarily closed, in addition to the intersections of Carriego and Av. Pueblos Originarios; Fernando Mendoza and Batalla de Tucumán; Salta and Av. Castro; Salta and Néstor Kirchner; Maipú and Montevideo.
Meanwhile, Electrotecnia is carrying out electrical installations in the different evacuation centers, while at the same time disconnecting lighting in green spaces and municipal dependencies and providing assistance with community meters, to provide greater safety to the entire affected area. Likewise, work is being done on the 911 video surveillance camera system.
Through the Ministry of Public Works, masonry, plumbing, and electrical work is being carried out in the evacuation centers so that the best conditions are provided for the families. In addition, trucks are provided for moving, and work is being done at the South Defense pumping station, which is in full operation due to the rising of the Concordia stream.
The Municipality remarked that beyond these specific actions, which are in addition to other care policies due to the river situation, the different usual programs and policies that are part of the schedule of activities of each department continue to be carried out.