a storm with a story

Having lived my whole pre-Argentina life in Florida, I’d say I’m pretty used to rain. I’ve endured serious storms on land and by boat and celebrated the occasional hurricane days off of school. I have always functioned perfectly well under wet conditions and actually enjoy listening to, watching and sometimes getting caught in the rain. Unfortunately, the people of Buenos Aires do not have the same sentiment. A rainy day in this city throws people into a state of confusion and chaos where stores close, people stay in and cabs disappear from the instantly flooded streets. This city’s reaction to harmless water falling from the sky truly baffles me! Then I discovered this solitary instance where the people of Buenos Aires actually welcome the rain.

The “Tormenta de Santa Rosa” (Santa Rosa Storm) is a three-day storm (mas o menos) that comes at the end of August every year and changes the entire city. Only this storm is a little different than the rest… it has a story!

I first heard about the storm when commenting to a local friend how happy I was with the recent change in weather. She told me the rise in temperature just means the Tormenta de Santa Rosa is coming and it will be cold and miserable for a few more days before spring begins. Turns out all the locals know about this storm that crosses the country from Santa Rosa to the Atlantic Ocean – and many of them count on it yearly to mark the end of winter. The cold, dreary days of winter stop as the Tormenta de Santa Rosa’s rain stops, and the people of Buenos Aires are left with beautiful spring weather.

I was clearly fascinated by the myth of this storm, which made me enjoy those three rainy days even more than usual. I just love that this particular storm has a story and felt the need to share it with my fellow Floridians back home.

Agata & some victims of the Tormenta de Santa Rosa on my street (Montevideo).
Unfortunately my friend Agata was in town for the whole storm and left with the winter.