Rare tornado strikes Puerto Varas, Chile, injuring 8 and causing widespread damage
A rare tornado struck the southern Chilean city of Puerto Varas at approximately 15:30 LT on Sunday, May 25, 2025. The tornado caused significant damage to homes, vehicles, and infrastructure, left eight people injured, and thousands without power.
Tornado in Puerto Varas on May 25, 2025. Credit: Red de Emergencia ONG
A rare tornado struck the city center of Puerto Varas (population 30 000) in southern Chile on Sunday, May 25, injuring eight people and damaging 250 homes.
The tornado carved a southeast path through the city center, damaging buildings, infrastructure, and homes across downtown and nearby neighborhoods.
Chile’s Meteorological Agency estimated wind speeds between 138 and 178 km/h (86–111 mph) and gave it a preliminary EF-1 rating. The Geoscientific Network of Chile confirmed its trajectory through the heart of the city.
The Chilean Meteorological Agency’s early evaluation described the destruction as moderate, with roofs ripped away, vehicles and street kiosks flipped over, windows smashed, and various structural features such as doors and outer walls torn from buildings.
Puerto Varas Mayor Tomás Gárate told local radio that eight people had been injured and 250 homes sustained damage, along with supermarkets and cars. Paulina Muñoz, the presidential delegate for the Los Lagos region, reported that nearly 21 000 people were left without power after trees and power lines were brought down.
Tornadoes are a very rare phenomenon in Chile, largely due to the country’s distinctive geography. The towering Andes Mountains to the east and the cold Pacific Ocean to the west typically prevent the kind of atmospheric instability needed to form such storms.
In May 2019, an EF-2 tornado struck Los Ángeles in Bio Bio region, injuring several people and damaging buildings, followed by another tornado the next day in Yumbel. Both events were considered highly unusual at the time.
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