{{Short description|Andean term for mountain flash floods}} A '''huaico''' or '''huayco''' (from the Quechua ''wayqu'', meaning "depth, valley") is an Andean term for the mudslide and flash flood caused by torrential rains occurring high in the mountains, especially during the weather phenomenon known as ''El Niño''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=What does huayco mean?|url=https://www.definitions.net/definition/huayco|access-date=2020-11-30|website=www.definitions.net|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=English Translation of "huayco" {{!}} Collins Spanish-English Dictionary|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/spanish-english/huayco|access-date=2020-11-30|website=www.collinsdictionary.com|language=en}}</ref>
National forests such as the San Matías–San Carlos Protection Forest were created in Peru to protect vegetation, which reduces runoff, and prevent huaicos.<ref>{{Cite web|title=What is a Huayco?|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-a-huayco.html|access-date=2020-11-30|website=WorldAtlas|date=25 January 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=@ownyourweather|date=2019-12-22|title=Huayco: What It Is And How It Is Caused|url=https://ownyourweather.com/what-is-a-huayco/|access-date=2020-11-30|website=Own Your Weather|language=en-US}}</ref>
The indigenous Mapuche residents of ''Lo Barnechea'', in present-day Santiago Province, Chile, were called ''Huaicoches'' in their Mapudungun language: ''Huaico'' (flash flood) and ''che'' (people).<ref>{{Cite web|title=huayco - Diccionario Inglés-Español WordReference.com|url=https://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=huayco|access-date=2020-11-30|website=www.wordreference.com}}</ref>
"''Cabeça d'água''" (lit. "Water head") is a term in Brazil describing similar phenomena. During orographic rain, rivers in mountain ranges are often struck by very rapid flooding, which produces a downward wave that can carry large river rocks, vegetation, and people. Several fatalities have been recorded due to "water heads", usually of people not familiar with local conditions.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2008-03-10 |title=Cabeça-d'água em Guapimirim: relembre outros casos |language=pt-BR |work=O Globo |url=http://oglobo.globo.com/rio/mat/2008/03/10/cabeca-d_agua_em_guapimirim_relembre_outros_casos-426159155.asp |url-status=dead |access-date=2022-03-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314210016/http://oglobo.globo.com/rio/mat/2008/03/10/cabeca-d_agua_em_guapimirim_relembre_outros_casos-426159155.asp |archive-date=2008-03-14}}</ref>
==References== <references />
Category:Hydrology Category:Geography of Peru
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