Overflows of the Copiapó River, Chile, and urban floods: 1833-1929

Abstract

Geographical features of the region where Copiapo River is located cause periods of drought and episodes of flooding in the Copiapo Valley. Floods have been recurrent since 17th century, but they did not become disasters until the 19th and 20th centuries. From the perspective of the social construction of disasters, we will analyze some floods that had negative effects on the population –and the responses they generated– in order to understand, through these dynamics, the reasons why occasional floods that occurred in the driest desert in the world became a threat. For this investigation, our main primary sources will be the records on new town held at the Archive, the correspondence between the local and central administrations, the minutes of the municipal council and the local press