Please refer to the attached file. Description of the Event Date of event 13-12-2025 What happened, where and when? On 17 November 2025, hydrological monitoring in El Torno Municipality recorded a river level of 3. 15 metres, classified as an “Extraordinary Rise”, indicating an increased risk of flooding in the department of Santa Cruz, in eastern Bolivia. On 13 December 2025, intense and prolonged rainfall caused the Piraí River and its tributaries to overflow, triggering severe flash floods across several municipalities, including El Torno, Porongo, Colpa Bélgica, Warnes and Montero. The floods swept away homes, damaged roads and bridges, and isolated rural communities. On 14 December, after the emergency exceeded the technical, operational and financial response capacity of the Autonomous Departmental Government of Santa Cruz, a Departmental Disaster was declared through Departmental Decree No. 512. Municipal emergency declarations were also issued in El Torno, Porongo and Warnes, enabling the mobilization of rescue operations, humanitarian assistance and temporary shelters. The emergency remained active during the following months as rainfall persisted and access conditions continued to deteriorate. On 28 March 2026, intense overnight rainfall caused renewed flooding in El Torno. The new inundations affected areas where soils were already critically saturated, according to the National Meteorology and Hydrology Service (SENAMHI), further damaging access routes and temporarily isolating rural communities.
Bolivia Pluvial/Flash Flood 2025 – DREF Final Report (MDRBO020)
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