Buenos Aires Herald 
Updated 5:27 p.m., March 7 2025
At least six people have lost their lives after powerful storms dumped over 300 millimeters of rain onto the Buenos Aires province coastal city of Bahía Blanca in the early hours of Friday morning, sparking severe flooding.
Mayor Federico Susbielles confirmed the deaths in a video. “For the moment, we cannot rule out further deaths, given the magnitude of what happened,” he said.
Over 1,000 people had been evacuated, he said: 275 in Bahía Blanca and over 800 in the nearby port town of Cerri. By 3:30 p.m. it was no longer raining, and heavy machinery and boats was being deployed to boost the rescue and recovery operation.
The Dr. José Penna Hospital was shut down after the neonatology wing had to be evacuated due to flooding. Videos posted online showed nurses wading through knee-deep floodwater carrying babies out of the ward, medical equipment bleeping in the dark around them. City authorities said that the Army is helping transfer patients to other health care facilities by boat.
Public services including schools, public transport, and even the airport were forced to shut down.
Record-breaking rainfall
Rain started at around 4 a.m. on Friday, eventually dropping over 300 millimeters of water on the city and flooding the streets. The number smashed Bahia Blanca’s previous record of 167.6mm, which fell on March 17, 1933, closely followed by a 154.9mm storm on February 13, 1975.
The city government issued a warning, asking residents to remain in their homes and avoid tampering with electrical cabling or home appliances. They also called on the population to refrain from cleaning the streets. Power has been cut in the affected areas in order to prevent any potential incidents.
According to local outlet La Nueva, the city has set up four evacuation centers in different parts of the city to aid families affected by the flooding.
Talking to radio news outlet La Red, Buenos Aires province Government Minister Carlos Bianco described the events as “a tragedy” and said that the provincial administration is in “constant communication” with the city mayor.
Bianco told radio news outlet Futurock that he had spoken with national Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, who told him that the National Urban Search and Rescue System is getting ready to be deployed. He also confirmed that the Buenos Aires province government will contact national Human Capital Minister Sandra Pettovello to coordinate assistance for those affected by the storms.
The Argentine National Meteorological Service reported a red alert in La Pampa province and southwestern Buenos Aires province due to the heavy rains. It’s expected that an estimated 100 milimeters of additional rain will fall on the city before the day is over.
With information from Ámbito
