ECUADOR · FLOODS
Key Facts
- —The country Ecuador, a Pacific-coast country of the Andes that uses the US dollar as its currency, has been under a national red alert for El Niño rains since 29 August 2026.
- —Why it matters Three people have died, more than 23,000 people are affected, and more heavy rain is forecast on the coast until Thursday 22 October.
- —Why now A landslide killed two workers in Azuay province on Sunday 18 October, and seven rivers and streams were still overflowing on Tuesday 20 October.
- —What happened The slide buried a house at a mining camp in Camilo Ponce Enríquez, and rivers broke their banks in Guayas, El Oro and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas provinces.
- —The numbers The national count carried on 19 October lists 21,522 affected and 1,645 damnified people, or 23,167 in total, with 5,511 homes damaged and 19 destroyed.
- —What it means for you Travellers and residents on the coast should expect flooded streets, damaged roads and school disruption this week, and should follow official alerts.
- —Still open Whether the rain eases after 22 October, and how far the El Niño season will raise the toll.
- —Power Index Ecuador ranks 8th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 38.2 points (October 2026 edition).
Ecuador floods and landslides have now killed three people and affected more than 23,000 across the country, and the latest two deaths came on Sunday 18 October 2026. A landslide buried a house at a mining camp in Azuay province, and the national risk secretariat counts both victims among the rain-related dead.
For US readers the story matters because Ecuador uses the US dollar, so relief bills, farm losses and repair costs are all counted in US$. Infobae reported that roughly US$650 million has been set aside for prevention and response, without giving a breakdown.
Our earlier report, Ecuador Rains Hit 17,056 People, Red Alert, covered the first weeks of the emergency. The count has grown since then, and several coastal rivers were still over their banks on Tuesday.
The Landslide at the Azuay Mining Camp
The landslide struck in the early hours of Sunday 18 October in the Bella Rica sector of Camilo Ponce Enríquez canton, Azuay province. It buried a house where workers were resting at the Coronel mining camp, according to Teleamazonas and Infobae.
Local firefighters reached the site and recovered the bodies of a man and a woman. Teleamazonas published its account on Monday 19 October and identified the victims as a 56-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man.
The national risk secretariat, known as SNGR, counts those two deaths among the fatalities linked to the rains. That brings the emergency toll to three, as Teleamazonas noted in its report.
The third death was a woman swept away by the Calichana River in Pasaje, El Oro province, according to Infobae. That death came earlier in the emergency, and the sources reviewed do not give its date.
What the Ecuador Floods Have Done So Far
The SNGR issued a red alert on 29 August 2026 tied to El Niño, the warming of the eastern Pacific that brings heavy rain to the Ecuadorian coast. Its count carried by Expreso on Monday 19 October lists 21,522 affected people and 1,645 damnified people.
Damnified is the official term for people whose homes or belongings were damaged, and the two groups add up to 23,167. Teleamazonas used the same 23,167 total on 19 October, counting affected and damnified people together.
Esmeraldas province has the most affected people at 17,243, followed by Guayas with 2,703 and Los Ríos with 1,724. The affected people are spread across 18 provinces, while adverse events have hit 22 of Ecuador’s 24 provinces.
The same count lists 5,511 damaged homes in 17 provinces and 19 destroyed homes. One bridge collapsed, eight others were damaged and about 13 kilometres of road were affected.
Since the rains began the agency has logged 217 floods, 78 landslides and seven aluviones, which are sudden flows of water, mud and debris. Our earlier report Ecuador Floods Burst Seven Rivers in Esmeraldas described the first overflows in the hardest-hit province.
Rivers Over Their Banks on Tuesday
On Tuesday 20 October the SNGR listed seven overflowing rivers and streams at its 07:00 cut-off, in three provinces. They were the Balao, Tenguel and Vinces rivers and the Lagarto stream in Guayas, the Pagua and Chaguana rivers in El Oro, and the Cristal river in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas.
In Tenguel, a rural parish of Guayaquil, the river overflowed after heavy rain on Sunday night and early Monday, and hundreds of families were left damnified, Primicias reported. Some residents blame a lack of dredging, and the utility Interagua temporarily suspended the parish’s drinking-water station.
In Tendales, a parish of El Guabo canton in El Oro, the Chaguana river broke out after continuous rain and the collapse of a retaining wall. About 900 people from four neighbourhoods were evacuated, and six schools took on water.
In Machala, the El Macho canal overflowed on Tuesday morning and flooded streets and houses, Primicias reported. The report gives no damage count for the city.
In-person classes resumed on Tuesday in education zones 5 and 8, which include Guayaquil and Guayas, El Universo reported. Balao, Milagro and the Tenguel parish stayed under review, and Infobae said lessons there moved to non-presential formats.
Forecast and the El Niño Outlook
The weather institute Inamhi expects rain to continue through Thursday 22 October, with very high levels forecast for Guayaquil, Los Ríos and Bolívar on Tuesday afternoon and night. Its Meteorological Warning No. 81 remains in force, and Quito’s emergency committee said the advisory runs until 22:00 on 22 October.
Inamhi has also warned that El Niño conditions are strengthening, with warming in the eastern Pacific. SNGR head Carolina Lozano said about 1.3 million people could be exposed to rain-related threats.
Official projections cited by Infobae say more than 145,000 people could be left damnified, but that is a risk estimate and not recorded damage. Infobae also reported that 1,429 temporary shelters are ready, with room for about 190,000 people.
What It Means for You
Travellers on Ecuador’s coast should expect flooded streets, damaged roads and school disruption in Guayas, El Oro and Los Ríos through at least 22 October. Our Ecuador Flood Safety Guide for US Travelers on the Coast explains how to prepare and which alerts to follow.
Residents who pay rent, food and repairs in US dollars may see prices move if flooding disrupts supply, as our report Ecuador Rice Price Nears US$50 a Quintal After 39% Jump showed earlier this month. Our Quito city guide covers daily costs for people living in the capital.
For the wider picture, Ecuador Explained: The Country, the Security Crisis, the Economy sets out how the economy and the security crisis fit together. Our guide Ecuador Geopolitics Explained 2026 covers the country’s place in the region.
What Is Not Known
The official counts differ between outlets, because Teleamazonas and Expreso carried 23,167 people while Infobae cited an SNGR update of 23,666, with 21,826 affected, 1,840 damnified and 5,650 damaged homes. Infobae noted that the SNGR revises its figures as field assessments advance.
The sources reviewed do not state a formal cause for the Azuay landslide, who owned the camp or whether it was licensed. The names of the two dead are not published here.
No source gives a damage cost in dollars for the floods so far, and the US$650 million is described only as prevention and response funding. It is also unclear how many of the 23,167 people are in shelters.
The SNGR’s own bulletin could not be retrieved for this article, so the figures rest on Ecuadorian outlets that quote it. The next national count will show whether the rise continues after the rain forecast to 22 October.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people have died in the Ecuador floods?
Three people have died in rain-related events since the red alert of 29 August 2026. Two of them were workers buried by a landslide in Azuay province on Sunday 18 October.
How many people are affected by the Ecuador floods?
The count carried by Expreso and Teleamazonas on 19 October lists 21,522 affected and 1,645 damnified people, or 23,167 in total. An SNGR update cited by Infobae gave 23,666, so the figure is still moving.
Which rivers are overflowing in Ecuador?
On 20 October the SNGR listed the Balao, Tenguel and Vinces rivers and the Lagarto stream in Guayas. It also named the Pagua and Chaguana rivers in El Oro and the Cristal river in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas.
Is it safe to travel to coastal Ecuador now?
Inamhi expects rain to continue until Thursday 22 October, with very high levels forecast for Guayaquil, Los Ríos and Bolívar. Travellers should check local alerts and our flood safety guide before moving between coastal cities.
What is the El Niño outlook for Ecuador?
Inamhi says El Niño conditions are strengthening, with warming in the eastern Pacific. The SNGR says about 1.3 million people could be exposed to rain-related threats.
Sources: El Universo, 19 October 2026; Teleamazonas, 19 October 2026; Expreso, 19 October 2026; El Universo, 20 October 2026; Primicias, 20 October 2026; Primicias, 19 October 2026; Infobae, 20 October 2026; Secretaría Nacional de Gestión de Riesgos of Ecuador.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief