Deadly Flooding in Chile Brings Life to Desert Flower

You wouldn’t expect to see a site like this in the world’s driest desert. But after flash flooding earlier this year in the northern Chile, dormant seeds have bloomed across the desert wasteland. This rare event is known as the flowering desert and occurs in the Spring for the Southern Hemisphere.

The incredibly dry mountains see less than an average of .004 inches of rain per year. Some locations within the desert haven’t seen rain in more than 400 years. The flash flooding provided the necessary water for the flowers to bloom. Unfortunately, the Chilean government reports the flooding killed 25 people and left thousands homeless.

Despite the dry climate, a rich variety of flowers have evolved and survived, including the little violet flowers no higher than three inches.

Allí va el tren con su carga de metal en medio del desierto florido. Muy hermoso. pic.twitter.com/gDF6T8BMol

— Tomás Cuadra Ordenes (@toroco_vallenar) October 2, 2015

For WeatherNation: Meteorologist, Monica Cryan

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