Dos desastres, un mismo drama: las ciudades de Santa Fe y La Plata frente a la inundación (Argentina, 2003/2013)

Objective/context: Using a collection of bibliographic materials from various disciplines and additional sources, this work attempts to narrate and compare two of the most visible and symbolically impactful catastrophic events in Argentina’s recent urban environmental history: the floods that affected the cities of Santa Fe and La Plata in 2003 and 2013, respectively. Methodology: The study employs a qualitative and comparative hermeneutics of bibliographic material from diverse disciplinary origins, as well as printed primary and secondary sources, including reports and newspaper notes, and audiovisual materials such as films, newsreels, and documentaries. Originality: Unlike analyses conducted by other social science disci-plines, the article proposes a single narrative structure to examine historical processes, based on a sequence of phases that the cases show they share in common. Conclusions: The work confirms the hypothesis that the historical progression of both floods can be described similarly: first, the water quickly and suddenly entered the urban area; then, a three-year period began focused on emergency response and social rebuild-ing; and finally, during that same period, a series of debates and public political actions took place involving various social groups committed to each event.