Large landslide partially blocks Medellin River in NW Colombia
A large landslide occurred at the La Granja landfill site in La Primavera, Antioquia in Colombia on May 3, 2021, partially blocking the Medellin River.
The general director of the Administrative Department of Risk Management of Antioquia (DAGRAN) said a team visited the area and made several recommendations to both the property owners and the municipality to mitigate the risk.
At this time, the river continues its course and DAGRAN is working on setting up 24/7 monitoring until it returns to normal.
Image credit: DAGRAN
Image credit: DAGRAN
The trigger for the landslide appears to have been a spell of heavy rainfall, although erosion of the toe by the channel cannot be eliminated, Dr. Dave Petley of The Landslide Blog said in an analysis.
The landslide appears to be a slump — not at all unusual in landfill materials — fortunately without a high level of mobilization.
Tras deslizamiento sobre el río Medellín a la altura del municipio de Caldas, profesionales del Dagran se dirigen al sitio para apoyar en la evaluación ante posible represamiento y posteriores acciones para reducir el riesgo aguas abajo. Estamos atentos a resultados de evaluación pic.twitter.com/wdtHFYz68j
— Dagran Antioquia (@DagranAntioquia) May 3, 2021
DAGRAN has recorded 56 landslide events since the rainy season began in March. In the same period of 2020, it recorded just four such events. "I wonder if this is associated with the current La Nina conditions," Petley said.
Severe weather events are expected to continue with greater intensity in the month of May, Colombian Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) said.
Featured image credit: DAGRAM
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