Peru Awaiting Tragedy

        Peru’s beauty and historical significance draws in many travelers.  Incan history seems frozen in time when exploring Machu Picchu.  World travelers visit Peru in search of the Sacred Valley to the Cathedral of Lima, and all the way to Paracas National Reserve.  Peruvians depend on tourism to positively impact their economy.  Weather permitting; Peru is the beautiful adventure most travelers desire.  The country has a diverse climate, which can affect crops, landmasses, and housing structures.  El Nino is a storm, named by Peruvian sailors in the 1800s that occurs ever two to seven years and spans for roughly nine months to two years.

            El Nino is a series of extreme weather changes due to the warming of the Pacific Ocean.  This extended warming can cause heavy rains, massive floods, and heavy winds.  Due to varying conditions, the fear of this storm is physical survival and financial survival.  Crops and commodities that normally would be thriving can be destroyed quickly.  This causes Peruvians to find other sources of income to meet their otherwise normally flourishing crops.

A diagram about the beginnings of El Nino, and the difference to normal conditions.

After the 1998 El Nino, a Peruvian woman is looking through rubble for her belongings.

The Dakar Rally 

In the past, El Nino has caused disaster in Peru.  In 1998 a mudslide occurred that put many Peruvians at risk.  The Economist stated, It ended up costing around $35 billion in destruction and there were 23,000 dead from the impact around the world.  According to CNN, "Workers digging a canal to divert water from a river swollen with El Nino rains were luck to escape with their lives after a mudslide swept through their worksite, authorities said" The last time the catastrophe hit there were heavy rains, extreme, flooding, and recurring mudslides.  The fear of this disaster happening again haunts the locals.

El Nino is said to hit Peru this year, and is predicted to last until April of 2016.  While it’s said to hit Peru first, the whole world will be affected.  Although only minor signs have shown the severity of the upcoming storm, Peruvians are getting ready.  According to The Japan Times, “And then there’s the flooding. Peru declared a pre-emptive state of emergency this month for 14 of its 25 states, appropriating some $70 million to prepare. Hilopito Cruchaga, the Civil Defense director in Peru’s northern region of Piura, said authorities are clearing riverbeds of debris, reinforcing riverbanks with rock and fortifying reservoir walls. Sandbags and rocks are also being piled up”.  According to BBC, Peru even cancelled the 2016 Dakar Rally, a bike and car racing competition,  because of the extreme expectations of the weather change.  They want to keep all emergency vehicles and workers ready for anything instead of working the event.  This alone, shows you the fear and anticipation Peruvians have toward the upcoming El Nino.

While California will most likely put an end their drought, Peru will be hit with rain, mudslides, and flooded with a mass amount of water.  Overall El Nino will create a very visible climate change for the world.  Specifically, Peru will take another large hit to their crops, economy, and land.  All are holding tight that the predictions are less than estimated to avoid another life changing event.