Floods and landslides claimed 90 lives and severely damaged more than 16 000 homes since March, Colombia

At least 80 people lost their lives and another 10 are still missing due to floods and landslides in Colombia since March 2022.

According to the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), the most affected regions are Cundinamarca, Antioquia, and Santander.

A total of 877 events related to the rainy season were reported between March 16 and June 12.

34 114 families or 95 000 people were affected, 80 people were killed, 91 were injured, and 10 people are still missing.

There were 16 295 houses severely damaged and 400 houses destroyed.

In addition, 730 highways, 72 bridges, 37 pedestrian crossings, 90 aqueducts, 37 sewers, 108 educational institutions, and 7 health centers were damaged.

According to the forecasts, the rains will continue, especially in the Caribbean and Orinoquia regions, however, special attention should be paid to communications issued by IDEAM in order to be alert to any atypical situation that may occur due to excess rainfall, UNGRD said.

The soils remain saturated and the volume of the rivers continues to increase, so it is recommended to pay special attention to the areas that have already been identified as potential landslide threats and floods.

Regarding the situation in the Bogotá River, the IDEAM has indicated that high levels continue in the middle and lower basin of the river. Because this situation is expected to continue, IDEAM urges the population living along the river to be continuously attentive to the changes in the river levels, for Bogotá River and all its tributaries.

Reference:

¹ Boletin informativo No. 066 – UNGRD – June 13, 2022