One Month After the Yanuncay Flood, San Joaquín Is Still Rebuilding — Here's What's Happening

What Happened

On March 12, the Yanuncay River overflowed — "el 12 de marzo se desbordó el río Yanuncay provocando daños en varios tramos" — cutting roads, collapsing bridges, and damaging homes in the Barabón sector of San Joaquín parish west of Cuenca (source).

More than a month later, residents are still putting their lives back together.

The Damage

From El Mercurio's on-the-ground reporting:

• About six community bridges collapsed — "Alrededor de 6 puentes comunitarios colapsaron"
• The road was damaged in at least four places — "afectada en al menos cuatro puntos"
• An entire stretch of road was lost — "se perdió un tramo de la vía"
• Homes destroyed — resident Juan Pablo Quezada of La Inmaculada de Barabón lost his home outright

One unnamed neighbor mentioned in the article had to invest his own money — over $12,000 — rebuilding without waiting for outside help. "Tuvo que invertir recursos propios" to the tune of "más de 12 mil dólares."

Another resident, Clara Arichávala, is among those still dealing with the aftermath.

The Government Response

The Prefectura of Azuay has prioritized recovery on the San Joaquín–Soldados–Chaucha route. Per the article:

• Around 950 cubic meters of material has been hauled in — "transportado cerca de 950 metros cúbicos de material"
• Enrocado walls (rockwork flood walls) are under construction — "construcción de muros de enrocado"
• Three community bridges are being rehabilitated — "rehabilitación de tres puentes comunitarios"

The Prefectura's target for completing this stretch of work is "en aproximadamente un mes" — roughly another month.

Why This Matters If You Live in Cuenca

• San Joaquín is a common weekend destination for expats — for fritada, for market runs, for the drive up to Soldados and Cajas. If you've noticed road conditions looking rough on the way out, this is why.
• Rainy season isn't done yet. The Yanuncay flood was a reminder that Cuenca's rivers — the Tomebamba, Yanuncay, Tarqui, Machángara — can swell fast when the páramo sheds water. If you live near any of them, know your evacuation route.
• Recovery takes longer than the news cycle covers. The dramatic footage was in mid-March. The slow work of hauling material, rebuilding bridges, and getting back into homes is a month-plus process. For people living through it, a month ago is still now.
• If you want to help, local parish-level aid efforts in San Joaquín and Barabón are ongoing. Asking around at the San Joaquín parish church or at community meetings is more useful than going through national channels.

The river is back where it belongs. The rebuild will take a while longer.

Source: El Mercurio