Peruvian woman credits God for her miraculous rescue from deadly mudslide

'God is great, it's a miracle she's alive!'

Lima, Peru is known for its rich cultural traditions, world heritage site, amazing food, Ayahausca ceremonies and the beautiful Machu Picchu - but lately it has become the victim of heavy rains, deadly mudslides and avalanches.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The country continues to experience the worst flood it has seen in decades as at least 70 people have been officially reported dead and over 70,000 have been displaced.

Prime Minister Fernando Zavala reported half the country has been declared in a state of emergency and the rainfall continues to break record after record in several districts.

Many officials believe the catastrophic storms will continue for another month, resulting in hundreds stranded in flood waters, people left homeless and more still at risk of deadly mudslides.

Twenty people remain missing and there is widespread damage to roads and railways, slowing humanitarian aid attempts.

Power outages and the scarcity of clean water have left those most isolated at the most risk.

The Center for National Emergency Operations reported 552,866 people are affected by the floods on a national level, 62,642 are described as "victims" and 115,748 homes were damaged, 7,974 of which collapsed and 7,925 were rendered uninhabitable.

According to CNA, many people are caught off-guard when disaster strikes.

One woman, 32-year-old Evangelina Chamorro, stepped outside with her husband to feed their animals in the corral near their home.

Her husband, Armando Ribera, explained: "[W]e went out to feed the animals when in the distance we heard a loud noise. I thought two trucks had crashed into each other on the highway.

"We managed to grab onto the trunk of a eucalyptus tree, but the force of the avalanche made us lose our grip. I saw the mud carrying away my wife."

Fearing the worst, Armando made it back to his home, where his daughters waited. No one knew whether Evangelina would survive but their worries were stilled when she was discovered clinging to life.

"I didn't think I would find her alive," Ribera admitted. "God is great, it's a miracle she's alive!"

Evangelina shared how the mud ripped her from Armando's grasp and described the lumber, nails and other debris striking her body as she was swept away.

"I thought of giving up," she admitted, "but the whole time I was asking God to give me the strength to keep on fighting."

Evangelina remains in the hospital for treatment of her injuries but she continues to improve by the grace of God.

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