The tourists were airlifted out of Aguas Calientes, and the world has breathed sigh of relief that Machu Picchu was unharmed and will be reopened again soon. But it hasn’t stopped raining in Peru.

The last few weeks have brought unnaturally heavy rains Peru’s highlands, including Cusco and the Sacred Valley. The strange storms have caused continual flooding and landslides, and while it appears the worst of the weather is over in the southern highlands, the storms are spreading. In the region of Huánuco (near Huaraz), more than 2000 homes have been flooded , and the airport in Tingo Maria has been damaged. At least five tons of humanitarian aid was expected to help the affected people in that area (via Living in Peru – English).

Street in Tingo Maria (Photo from Reporte al Dia)

According to the Instituto de Defensa Civil, over 20,400 Peruvians have been affected by the flooding in regions the entire length of the country, from Puno in the south to Tumbes in the north (links via Radio Programas del Peru – Spanish – and Living in Peru – English – respectively). Even towns in the coastal desert, such as Trujillo, have reported damage from rains.

The worst damage has been in the highlands, however, where people with next to nothing have lost almost everything: their homes, their livestock, and their farm plots. While there were relatively few deaths during the worst of the flooding, the real danger is coming now. The English-language media’s attention has flagged now that the last of the tourists are out of Cusco, but the people who call the region their home are now facing spreading disease on top of total loss of livelihood.

Effect on Tourism

Upscale businesses in Cusco have launched a “Cusco at Half Price” campaign to try to draw in domestic tourism with deals on hotel rooms, and Peru’s tourism agency launched a “Meet Peru Now” campaign to promote other tourist routes. Through a series of lackluster articles named things like “Adventure and loads to see in Peru” PromPeru is explaining to people that even though they’ve sold the entire country as Machu Picchu for years, there actually are other things to see.

A handful of travel bloggers have taken up a more robust rallying cry for Peruvian tourism, including Stuart at En Peru Blog’s great update of my original post about alternatives to Machu Picchu. Audrey and Dan at Uncornered Market threw in the fantastic post Keep Peru on your Bucket List. Even Lonely Planet has gotten onboard, with a post about the Kuelap citadel in Chachapoyas. (I’m sure I’m missing others, please leave links in comments below!).

How you can help

Were you planning a trip to Machu Picchu? Don’t cancel your visit to Peru just because you’ll be unable to see this single attraction. Pack your bags a bit heavier than normal with donations for victims of flooding, and read this article from Living in Peru about places to donate.

Want to contribute financially? Check out this blog post from Peruanista for ways to help. Also, Planeterra Foundation is raising money to help people in the area.

Need information on alternative places to travel in Peru? Leave a question in the comments, or email me with questions.

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3. Machu Picchu-ing in the near future | by Jessie Kwak
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5. Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes, and the whole shebang | by Jessie Kwak

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