Cuenca And Zone 6 Move From El Nino Prevention To Response Planning

Cuenca is not in panic mode over El Nino, but the official posture has shifted from prevention to preparation.

The National Risk Management Secretariat says the response-preparation phase is active for Zone 6, which includes Azuay, Canar, and Morona Santiago. The move follows Ecuador's decision to raise 17 provinces from yellow alert to orange alert because of possible rain, flooding, and landslide emergencies.

What is being prepared

Froilan Salinas, the Zone 6 risk-management coordinator, said territorial action plans have already been received for Azuay, Canar, and Morona Santiago.

Risk officials are concentrating on higher-risk areas, including La Troncal in Canar, where the provincial COE has been installed. This week, institutions are also scheduled to carry out simulations and drills to test response capacity.

For Cuenca residents, the most visible preventive work is drainage-related. Crews are carrying out desazolve, the removal of sediment and waste from waterways and drainage systems, in Cuenca, La Troncal, and Canar to reduce flood risk.

The Zone 6 coordination office is also preparing temporary shelters and strengthening coordination mechanisms between institutions.

When the bigger effects could arrive

Salinas said El Nino is currently present along Ecuador's coast, but the ocean-atmosphere coupling that determines its behavior is still pending.

Current projections point to the strongest effects between December and March, the period that overlaps with Ecuador's winter season. Low-lying Zone 6 areas such as Molleturo, Chaucha, and La Troncal are on the watch list because heavier rain could affect them first.

What this means in daily life

For expats in Cuenca, the immediate takeaway is not to cancel normal plans. The useful step is to pay attention to drainage, road, and neighborhood warnings as the season develops.

If you live near a river corridor, a steep road, or an area that has flooded before, now is the time to ask your building or landlord what the drainage situation looks like. Keep emergency contacts handy, watch official Risk Management and municipal updates, and avoid treating December as far away. Preparation work is happening now because the harder months may come later.

Source: El Mercurio.