Drizzle causes emergency in Chilean desert city (icy, average, rainfall)

[miamiman]

Drizzle causes emergency in Chilean desert city | www.azstarnet.com ®

Are the roofs and power lines there made out of toilet paper?

[RWood]

Read the last part of this version of the story. The issue is poverty. I have travelled in these areas and found the people to be remarkably friendly and cheerful - an object lesson for the comparatively rich, spoilt and obnoxious one so often encounters. It's not easy ekeing out a living in the hyperdesert.

Iquique had no measurable rainfall in 10 of the last 13 years, though 2002 had 9.5mm, compared with the 30-year average of 0.6mm.

Drizzle, light wind damage desert city - Weather- msnbc.com

[tijlover]

I've been to this extremely arid section of Chile, and after long long periods of no rain, and the build-up of oil on the roads, I would imagine it was a big, big mess with lots of accidents as well.

Here, in Las Vegas, we can go months without rain, and then, when it does, the city becomes one big skating rink! All that oil build up on the roads!
Accidents everywhere! Stop at a stoplight, light turns green, and your tires spin and spin. Try to stop for the light, and you slide. IMO, worse than driving on icy roads and very, very dangerous.

[alexei27]

I am glad this story got a post.

Another issue is that literally people had roofs made of cardboard and paper.