[3][4] According to videos on social media, local residents wept and screamed for help as a muddy river carrying trees, vehicles, garbage cans, and utility poles flowed through the streets of Quito.

[9][10] October to May is renowned for the rainy season however, 31 January 2022 – 1 February 2022 saw the heaviest rainfall in Ecuador since 2003, forty times more rain fell than expected.

[11] As a result, landslides triggered a heavy flow of water, mud, and rocks from the slopes of Pichincha Volcano,[12] destroying recreation grounds, houses and sweeping vehicles away, causing significant dangers with missing people, injuries, and loss of life.

The main cause of the floods and landslide is thought to be linked with the growing impacts of climate change, with a rise in irregular weather patterns such as El Niño and La Niña.

(ECHO, 7 Feb 2022)[19] Since the rains began on 28 January 2022, the effects of heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides have spread to most areas of Ecuador, particularly Guayas, Cotopaxi, El Oro and Los Rios.

The rainfall triggered mud and rock flows that descended rapidly down the slopes of the Pichincha volcano, creating a devastating impact on the roads.

(IFRC, 10 Feb 2022)[16] As of March 11, 2022, heavy rains have been affecting several provinces in Ecuador, causing flooding, triggering landslides, and leading to evacuations and destruction.

The National Risk and Emergency Management Service (SNGRE) reports that as of March 29, four people were killed, 10 injured, 14 evacuated families, nine homes destroyed and 27 damaged as a result of the landslide.

The number of casualties and reported damages increased after a 5.8M earthquake with a depth of 26 km struck Esmeraldas province (northern Ecuador) at 4:28 UTC on March 27.

[24] On 9 February 2022, the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) implemented a 3-month Emergency Action Plan for all areas of Ecuador affected by the heavy rainfalls and its consequences, including Quito.

[26] As a longer-term response, the International Rescue Committee is closely working with Ecuador's authorities to support Venezuelan and Ecuadorian families who lost their homes or whose relatives were affected.

[28] Heavy rains caused a catchment structure to overflow, sending a deadly stream down a nearby hillside onto a sports field, where spectators and people practising volleyball on the court were victimised.