A town flooded for almost 20 years? Yes, it seems like a movie story, however this unimaginable event was real and took place in Argentina.
In 1821, Villa Lago Epecuén was founded, a city built on the shore of a saline lake, located in the southwest of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
With more than 25,000 visitors a year, during the summer months, this town functioned as a tourist center where thousands of people from the country and abroad went on vacation to enjoy the extraordinary benefits of the lagoon, such as mud, clay, salts. , algae and thermal water, which worked to heal ailments, diseases and skin treatments, among others.
For several years this place stood out for its architecture, recreational activities and different entertainment options, including lodgings, restaurants, theater, cinema, etc.
Every story has its golden age, this one certainly did, sadly it lasted a few years.
The city before the flood, image taken from Google.
Without digging so much into the details, I can say that for different reasons (natural and human) the future of Villa Epecuén was unemployed for almost 20 years since it suffered a flood due to torrential rains, a southeast storm and a series of unfinished works.
The wall that protected the city gave way and the lagoon flooded it. The water was rising a centimeter per hour and two weeks later the entire town was under water. Its highest peak was not until 1993 when it reached 10 meters of water.
This caused all its inhabitants to be emergency evacuated, causing entire families to lose everything, forcing them to start from scratch. This was concluded in 15 days. Thanks to these immediate evacuations there were no injuries or serious injuries. The flood caused even the town's coffins to be moved to the Carhué cemetery. This neighboring town, located 8 kilometers away, housed most of the population of Epecuén.
Over time, many people who were victims of the tragedy died due to great anguish and depressive problems.
Villa Lago Epecuén during the flood, image taken from Google.
It is not a memory, it is a fact that must be told
If we talk about material heritage, unfortunately it was lost here, since the ruins of the city cannot be recovered and were impregnated with salt from the lake, as was most of its vegetation. Currently there are animals such as the southern flamingo, the coscoroba, the silver macá, the royal tero, brine shrimp, among others that live and are native to the area.
The former inhabitants and neighbors of the area set in motion the development of tourist activity with the aim of recovering the cultural heritage and what Villa Epecuén meant and means, little by little rebuilding the value of the territory and its resources.
History does not rest, more people continue to be encouraged to visit this site so that what happened is made visible. This tragedy destroyed buildings, parks and beaches.
The sad story of this magical town that marked lives and touched hearts, gave reasons to show how important it is to make these stories visible and tell them. That is why today Villa Epecuén became a place of visit for tourists and an open door. for the inhabitants who remain in Carhué
Looking at that past can open many wounds, even losses, yet knowing it is important to help restore and recover life.
I was there, standing on the main avenue of the town, stepping on the ruins even of the old cemetery, you feel it in the landscapes, in the air you breathe, in the people who work there to preserve the place, it will not be the same as it was and its history will not be submerged under water. For this reason and because of how important this town was for those who were present during and after the flood, this city deserves respect, knowledge, visibility and a future that will remain in the memory of many people, because the only way it will shine again is that we come to know, listen to its history and talk about what Villa Epecuén once was.
Ruins of Villa Lago Epecuén today, google image