SANTIAGO, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a powerful storm that has affected 10 of Chile's 16 regions since last Thursday has risen to 13, with four people still missing, authorities said Wednesday.

The storm has also left more than 60,000 people isolated and 17 injured, said Alicia Cebrian, national director of the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service.

Cebrian said 24,459 homes had suffered damage, including 100 that were completely destroyed.

Although the weather system has moved away and rainfall has stopped, she urged residents to remain cautious, warning that some roads remained blocked and some rivers still had high water levels.

Interior Undersecretary Maximo Pavez said no rainfall was forecast for the northern regions of Atacama and Coquimbo, among the hardest hit, over the next five days. This would help authorities carry out recovery work on road and power infrastructure, he said.

Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast on Monday declared a state of catastrophe due to public calamity in all of Coquimbo and part of Atacama, allowing the deployment of military personnel and the use of special fiscal resources.

Experts said the storm, associated with the El Nino phenomenon, could bring historic rainfall totals of more than 250 mm in less than seven days in several areas. However, they said the rains would not significantly ease Chile's water crisis, which has lasted for more than 15 years. ■