Unusually heavy thunderstorms brought torrential rainfall to northern Chile's Atacama desert last week, flooding one of the driest regions in the world. Flash floods swept down valleys, cutting off villages, destroying structures, and carrying vehicles for miles. According to Reuters, Chile's President Michelle Bachelet says it will cost at least $1.5 billion to repair the damages caused by the flooding and mudslides that left a toll of over two dozen people dead and nearly another 140 missing. The following photos are of the flooding in several small towns, and the aftermath, as the region gradually returns to normal.
Devastating Floods Hit Northern Chile
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A man clings to a security line to cross a street flooded by the overflowing of the Copiapo River due to heavy rainfall that affected some areas of the city in Copiapo, Chile, on March 26, 2015. #
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A volunteer dressed as a clown jumps over a puddle in a street of San Antonio town on April 7, 2015. The volunteer was dressed to perform at a show for children in the flood-hit town. #
Ivan Alvarado/Reuters -
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