Father left homeless with six children after storm destroyed his town: “Our time is running out”
The storm hit like a tsunami in a movie, as end-of-the-world images flashed before my eyes. It pummeled our city tearing down poles and leaving trees littered in the streets. Power lines hung in the air and debris lay everywhere.
- 10 months ago
January 17, 2024
As the displaced family made their way out of Bahia Blanca, they saw uprooted trees, downed power lines, crushed cars, and total destribution. | Photo courtesy of Juan Páez
BAHÍA BLANCA, Buenos Aires, Argentina ꟷ Hours before a severe electrical storm struck the Argentinian coast in the city of Bahía Blanca where I live, the news alerted us to intense rain. No one imagined the magnitude of what was to come – the fallen trees, broken glass, and crushed cars. As power outages and floods ravaged our region, the evacuations began.
The storm hit around 7:00 p.m. on December 16, 2023, and by 10:00 p.m. we began hearing reports of deaths. At the Bahiense del Norte Club, where people were enjoying an end-of-year skate competition, the roof collapsed, killing 13 people including a child. [By December 18, the province of Buenos Aires was declared in a state of emergency.]
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Bahía Blanca faced an unprecedented natural disaster: “The place I call home became a living hell”
During the day on December 16, 2023, I worked at a friend’s house wiring and putting up a fence. My wife and six children waited for me at a neighbor’s house nearby. Fear overtook us as a storm began to brew and I went into a state of panic. Suddenly, trees began to uproot, and dead animals could be seen in the streets.
I cried out, asking God to stop the storm as I feared the worst: my family getting hurt or losing our home. Despite taking shelter, I heard objects flying outside. You could feel the destruction happening and I worried that we would have to go back to the drawing board – to start our lives over.
The storm hit like a tsunami in a movie, as end-of-the-world images flashed before my eyes. It pummeled our city tearing down poles and leaving trees littered in the streets. Power lines hung in the air and debris lay everywhere. The intensity of the disaster left houses wrecked and flood waters gurgling.
When it finally calmed and we went outside, we saw trees and poles laying over crushed cars and whole neighborhoods without electricity. I felt like walking through hell. Seeing the wreckage and the fear in the eyes of my wife and children, I felt intense anguish.
As I breathed a sigh of relief, my family safe, news spread of the people killed in the storm, including the 13 individuals at the Bahiense del Norte Club. It dawned on me that some people lost everything they had, while others lost their lives. Perplexed, I wondered, “Was it a storm? A tornado? What happened here?”
A tree crushed our house, leaving us homeless after the storm
The next day, my family and I made our way home. When the house came into view, a profound sense of helplessness pervaded my being. A eucalyptus tree crushed an entire section of the house. The prefabricated part of our home was split wide open. “What do I do,” my mind shouted, “Where do I take my family?”
Desperation set in and we had no choice but to leave. Making our way through the streets of Bahía Blanca, we dodged fallen branches and trees at every turn. Even the soccer stadium lay in ruin. Huge signs, once erect, now lay over cars and houses. It felt like complete chaos, as if the place we called home was not our own anymore.
I feared the local municipality would not be able to help us, and in fact, their aid would not arrive until the end of January. We couldn’t wait; danger lurked at every turn. So, as we went out into the streets with nothing, I became the father who had to start over again for his family. Ten thousand thoughts crossed my mind as I grappled with unease, but I had to act to protect my wife and children.
During those early hours of leaving Bahía Blanca, people offered us help, but we did not want to remain amongst the destruction. Making our way to the city of Neuquén, we stopped at a campsite to rest. I looked for a job but living like a nomad with a family proved impossible. We passed through Cipolleti, Cinco Saltos, and Catriel, but lacked the resources to stay.
Father searches for work to support his family, spends Christmas in a hotel
Looking into my children’s eyes and not knowing what to do left me exasperated. While I had not spoken to him in years, I decided to head toward Mar del Plata to ask my brother for help, but he was nowhere to be found.
Stranded at the bus station, we ran out of money, so we slept on the benches. People passing by brought us food to eat. Desolate and distressed, I felt truly abandoned. Employees at the bus station, seeing our situation, brought food and necessary items to us. Then, one day, someone approached and paid for us to stay in a hotel for a week.
They wanted us to be able to spend Christmas together inside. Yet, now, even as I share my story, our time is running out. Soon, we will be outside again. I don’t need a handout – I want to work. I’m simply looking for a job a roof over my family’s head. I wouldn’t wish this nightmare on anyone.
