Thursday, 5 November 2026
Beginning Friday, 30 October, torrential El Niño-fueled rains caused massive and unprecedented flooding in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, the most heavily populated town in the Galápagos, Some 2000 people were affected, forced to evacuate their homes. At least one person is dead and two are missing. The flooding damaged or washed away homes, tore up roads, and toppled power lines. Four visitor sites on Santa Cruz and two on San Cristóbal have been closed, and Ecuador has declared a state of emergency.
A story about the flooding is posted on the English edition of El Pais and video of the flooding is posted on YouTube. The Galápagos Conservancy is seeking donations for relief.
For more about El Niño, see the El Niño page on this website and check out Volume 2 of A Paradise for Reptiles to learn about the effect of El Niño on marine iguanas.
