Massive waves struck the coasts of Ecuador and Peru on Saturday, December 28, 2024, flooding homes, damaging boats, and closing over 91 of 121 ports in Peru. Over 200 fishermen in Peru ended up stranded in swells while 1 person died in Ecuador’s coastal city of Manta.
Ecuador is facing a severe energy crisis caused by the worst drought in six decades drastically reducing water levels in reservoirs powering hydroelectric plants that supply over 70% of the nation’s electricity. Since October 23, 2024, power cuts have expanded from 8 to 14 hours per day, impacting cities like Quito, Guayaquil, and Cuenca, and causing economic losses of about $12 million per hour.
Ecuador is experiencing a significant energy crisis, leading to widespread power outages and economic challenges. The crisis is primarily due to reduced water levels affecting hydroelectric power generation, which supplies a substantial portion of the country’s electricity.
On June 16, 2024, a catastrophic landslide in Baños, Ecuador, claimed the lives of at least eight people, leaving many more injured, and several missing. The disaster followed days of torrential rain that destabilized a hillside, causing it to collapse and bury parts of the city under tonnes of mud and debris.
The effusive eruption that started two days ago at Fernandina volcano in Ecuador continues on March 5, 2024, with several lava flows on the SSE slope of the volcano.
A new eruption started at Ecuador’s Fernandina volcano in the Galapagos archipelago at 04:50 UTC on Sunday, March 3, 2024. IGEPN volcanologists said deformation data suggests this eruption will be larger than those observed in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Heavy rain has been affecting Ecuador since January 29, 2024, resulting in devastating floods and landslides across the country. Two fatalities were reported in Azuay Province, with four others injured in Chimborazo and Loja. The disaster has affected over 16 600 individuals, predominantly in Los Ríos, Manabí, Esmeraldas, and Guayas provinces, leading to the destruction of 36 houses and damage to 3 180 others.
Over 11 750 individuals were impacted by intense flooding between June 3 and June 4, 2023, in the Esmeraldas Province of Ecuador due to the overflowing of six rivers following continuous rainfall. The cantons of Esmeraldas, Atacames, Quinindé, and Muisne bore the brunt of the floods, resulting in extensive damage to properties and necessitating broad-scale evacuations.
Heavy rainfall since January wreaked havoc across Ecuador, leaving at least 79 people dead, 39 missing, and 66 000 affected.
A notable eruptive pulse took place at Ecuador’s Sangay volcano on April 21, 2023, producing large volcanic ash emissions and ashfall west of the volcano.
