Operators at the Salto Grande hydroelectric dam, shared by Argentina and Uruguay, gradually opened spillway gates to relieve the rising Uruguay River.

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Swollen rivers linked to heavy El Niño rains flooded parts of Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay on October 16, 2026, forcing thousands of residents from their homes.

The Paraná River rose to 4.7 meters (15.4 feet) on October 15, 2026 in Ituzaingó, Argentina, prompting evacuations across Corrientes province.

Water releases from the Salto Grande hydroelectric dam flooded downstream urban areas in Uruguay, keeping several dozen people displaced from their homes.

In the border city of Ayolas, Paraguay, more than 2,000 residents evacuated after the Paraná River reached its highest level in over 40 years on October 16, 2026.

Park authorities reopened several other trails at Iguazu Falls that had previously been closed due to rising floodwaters.

Ranchers in Corrientes, Argentina guided herds of cattle across flooded pastures to higher ground to prevent livestock from drowning on October 16, 2026.

The 2026 South American floodwaters originated from three major rivers that start in Brazil and flow south: the Paraná, the Uruguay, and the Iguazú.

Park authorities at Iguazu Falls closed the walkway to the Devil's Throat cascade on the Argentina-Brazil border due to high water levels in the Iguazú River.

Provincial officials in Corrientes, Argentina began digging canals and installing drains to prepare for additional anticipated rainfall.

Forecasters project that the 2026 El Niño natural climate phenomenon could be among the strongest on record, driving severe weather across South America and global climate disruptions.

Uruguayan officials warned that northwestern Uruguay will experience its heaviest rainfall of the year in the months following October 2026.

Calves in Corrientes, Argentina struggled against strong flood currents thick with floating river vegetation during livestock relocation efforts.

Brazil's national weather service expects above-average rainfall through December 2026 in southern Brazil, where the Paraná, Uruguay, and Iguazú rivers originate.

Probabilistic attribution modeling in the October 15, 2026 study determined climate change made the conditions fueling Hurricane Polo roughly 23 times more likely to occur.

An attribution study published October 15, 2026, calculated that El Niño contributed approximately 5 mph (8 kph) to Hurricane Polo's peak wind speed.

The October 15, 2026 study modeled climate change impact on Hurricane Polo by comparing real-world conditions to a hypothetical climate without 1.4 degrees Celsius (2.5 degrees Fahrenheit) of post-industrial warming.

Outside scientists Jeff Masters, Michael Mann, and Carl Schreck stated that the October 15, 2026 rapid study likely underestimated human-caused climate change's total contribution to Hurricane Polo's intensity.

Hurricane Polo rapidly intensified from a tropical storm into a Category 5 hurricane within 24 hours off the Pacific coast of Mexico in late September 2026.

According to the October 15, 2026 attribution study, El Niño made the atmospheric and oceanic conditions fueling Hurricane Polo roughly 14 times more likely.

Sea-surface temperatures along Hurricane Polo's path reached 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31.2 degrees Celsius) in late September 2026, up to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above normal.