Rain

Last night it rained in Antofagasta. That rarely happens, since it's in the middle of the Atacama Desert, the driest in the world. When I first moved here 2 years ago, I remember waking up at 6 A.M. and seeing dew on the patio twice. Last year, it drizzled for about 20 minutes and most of the schools in the city were closed. Rain is scary here; the houses aren't built for it and lots of houses center around an outdoor patio. Last night it started dripping drops around 6 P.M., paused, and started again around 9 P.M. and continued until 6 A.M. this morning, getting progressively heavier. According to one of our Chilean friends, it hasn't rained that much here in about 30 years. In 1991 it rained and there were floods and deaths and chaos, but he said after that they rebuilt the city to better withstand the next rainfall. I don't know how bad it is around the city, but many houses of people we know flooded. At school, 3 classrooms on the first floor flooded and part of the library ceiling caved in on the second floor. Teachers and staff spent the morning cleaning and sorting through books. Students around the city, including our students, had the day off. A rain day. I haven't been able to find any information online and I haven't yet watched the news, so I don't know any official details, just what I saw and heard. The main road on our walk to school was flooded, and one poor woman's car was stuck.

Rain on my bedroom window last night. A sight I've never seen here!

Rain falling on the streets of Antofagasta.