Storm Reports from Manta and Santa Elena: What Was Confirmed on October 26

Two coastal reports from Monday

Two reports published on October 26 describe separate impacts from overnight storms in Manta and Santa Elena. The details are useful context for residents and travelers, but they are a snapshot of Monday’s conditions. Neither article confirms the status of every affected service or location today.

In Santa Elena province, El Universo reported rain from 10 p.m. Sunday, October 25, until 5 a.m. Monday. Amaru, a regional storm-monitoring platform, counted 258 lightning strikes over a 30-minute period. Several areas lost electricity after lightning affected service; CNEL EP said its control center and technical teams were assessing infrastructure and coordinating restoration. The story also reported that some schools in District 24D01 moved to non-presential classes on Monday, while the State University of Santa Elena shifted academic activities to asynchronous mode from that day until further notice.

The same report identified localized water impacts: parts of Salinas were inundated, water entered homes in the Virgen del Carmen neighborhood of La Libertad, and the Dos Mangas River overflowed and affected some homes. Those descriptions are tied to named places; they do not establish that all of Salinas or La Libertad was flooded.

Primicias reported a separate storm in Manta, Manabí, during Monday’s early morning. It listed Miraflores, Costa Azul, La Floreana, Tarqui, Jocay, Los Esteros and the Manta–Montecristi road among affected areas. Water accumulated at the Tarqui market. Part of the roof at Manta’s bus terminal collapsed; at the time of the report, workers were removing the structure and the area was restricted while cleanup took place. The article said some schools chose asynchronous classes and others delayed entry by an hour, depending on rainfall conditions and access.

What This Means for Expats

The practical takeaway is to verify conditions for the specific town, route, school or terminal you plan to use. The reports do not say that every coastal road was closed, that all schools used the same schedule, or that the terminal remains restricted now. Primicias also relayed an INAMHI forecast for continued rain and scattered storms on the coast through October 28; forecasts can vary by location.

On the school question, the two reports describe different decisions: Santa Elena’s notice applied to institutions in District 24D01 that had been affected, while Manta schools varied their response. The reports do not establish one coast-wide school policy. Before a trip, check directly with your transport operator and local authorities for current access and service information. For a practical check, ask whether your exact route is open, whether your bus terminal is operating, whether your school issued a fresh schedule, and whether electricity is back in your neighborhood. For school schedules or electricity restoration, use the relevant institution’s latest notice rather than carrying Monday’s update forward as current. This article summarizes the two dated reports and does not provide a live emergency map.

AI-generated illustration; not documentary imagery.

Sources: El Universo and Primicias