QUITO — Heavy rains in Ecuador's Galapagos Islands have killed at least one person, left two others missing and affected thousands of families, local authorities said on Saturday, in flooding thought to be associated with the El Nino weather phenomenon.

Source: AFP, via News Central TV, Nov 1, 2026

The downpour began on Friday afternoon and hit Santa Cruz, the archipelago's most populated island, hardest. Ecuador's ECU911 emergency service confirmed one death and said two people remained missing. Images released by ECU911 and local media showed residents of Santa Cruz moving their belongings to safer locations.

Preliminary estimates from the Santa Cruz municipal authorities indicate that about 2,000 families have been affected. Local assessments cited in other reporting put the number initially evacuated to emergency accommodation at at least 80 people, and named Bellavista, Santa Rosa, Miramar, Aguacatal, Divino Nino and La Cascada among the worst-hit areas.

Source: Orbis Weather, Galapagos Islands flooding report, Nov 1, 2026

“Unprecedented” for the island, mayor tells AFP

Santa Cruz Island Mayor Fanny Uribe told AFP that the scale of the rainfall had taken residents by surprise, describing it as an unprecedented event for the island. Authorities declared an emergency for the Santa Cruz canton, and commercial flights at the archipelago's Baltra airport were suspended, AFP video reporting said.

The Galapagos National Park authorities have closed four tourist sites on Santa Cruz Island and another two on San Cristobal Island, AFP reported. Ecuador's meteorological agency INAMHI had issued a short-term warning for heavy rainfall across parts of the archipelago through early November 1.

October is normally one of the driest months on the islands, which is why the intensity of this rain — linked by officials to El Nino — caught the island unprepared. Search work for the two missing people and help for the affected families were continuing as the waters were assessed.