State of Emergency in Ecuador (1 Viewer)

[Helmut Schumann]

Ecuador

We planned to go into the north of Ecuador at the beginning of March.
Now we heard from the state of emergency in Ecuador due to strong rainfalls.
Is there anybody in Ecuador who has informations about the situation in Quito and environment?
Are there problems in Mindo and the East – Papallacta Pass and road to Baeza?

From press reports I conclude that probably the south and the coastal region particularly are flooded?

Helmut

 

[mmdnje]

You are correct. Flooding are particularly bad on coast, Including Esmeraldas. Mindo, Tandayapa, Silanche, Milpe and Papallacta, (Guango, san Isidro, etc) are OK.
The rains are stronger than in previous years. The goverment response to the situation is more robust, and for that reason the "state of emergency". I hope you have a good trip. Jose

 

[Vectis Birder]

Sounds like the rainy season has well and truly set in then. It was just starting when I left in December.
Are the stronger rains due to La Nina?

 

[Helmut Schumann]

Yes, the strong rain in the west and at the coast is particularly caused surely by "EL Nino". There is some good explanations and also a forecast from the USA in the net. A cause is the strong heating up of the sea, which leads to strong rain. La Nina is however probably the contrary feature. By cold sea there is no rain in South America.
You had still the dry time. In December 1998 we had been in Ecuador and had only some rain in Podocarpus NP.
But as we heard in the meantime from Ecuador, rain in Mindo and environment is also more strongly than in the normal years, but there are no problems except smaller landslides. In the eastern parts (Oriente) rain will start in mid March.
Thanks also for the references to the use of Notebooks in large height.

 

[Vectis Birder]

Yes, the strong rain in the west and at the coast is particularly caused surely by "EL Nino". There is some good explanations and also a forecast from the USA in the net. A cause is the strong heating up of the sea, which leads to strong rain. La Nina is however probably the contrary feature. By cold sea there is no rain in South America.
You had still the dry time. In December 1998 we had been in Ecuador and had only some rain in Podocarpus NP.
But as we heard in the meantime from Ecuador, rain in Mindo and environment is also more strongly than in the normal years, but there are no problems except smaller landslides. In the eastern parts (Oriente) rain will start in mid March.
Thanks also for the references to the use of Notebooks in large height.

No problem, re. the notebook references. I was surprised there wasn't more about it on the net. I hope you found them useful.

Landslides are a regular feature of the Andean slopes in the rainy season, so you may be unlucky enough to encounter one or more, if you go up into the Tandayapa Valley and other similar areas.