At least 50 people in Colombia have died and many missing in floods caused by excessive rains, the country’s national disaster body said Wednesday.The departments disaster agency Dagran Antioquia reported 237 buildings damaged, 10 vehicles damaged along with road and infrastructure, including a local market square. As of 185 families affected. No major injuries were reported.Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) said that as many as 50 people have died aas a result of severe weather in the country since 01 March 2021.
UNGRD reported a total of 318 severe weather event in 193 municipalities and 20 departments, affecting 3,451 families. Forty-five people died and 3 are missing, while 23 people were injured. As many as 2,382 houses have been damaged and 30 houses destroyed.
According to UNGRD, there were 175 landslides and 89 floods and flash floods during this period, along with storms, strong winds and hail.
The departments with the highest number of recorded events have been Cundinamarca (35), Huila (29), Nariño (24), Valle del Cauca (23) and Antioquia (21).
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) reported that river flooding and landslides have occurred in many parts of the country since the start of the rainy season.
Another 23 people were injured and three people were missing.
As many as 3,451 families have been affected by floods while 36,000 people have been evacuated.
Colombia's main states of Antioquia, Valle del Cauca, Narino, Huila and Cundinamarca are the most affected parts of the country by the rainfall.
Authorities have urged the public to stay away from streams, waterways and riverbanks during the rainy season.Heavy rain fell overnight 10-11 March, 2021. Secretary of Risk Management in Cali, Rodrigo Zamorano, described the rainfall as “extraordinary and unusual”. Local media said in the space of around 90 minutes the city saw 60% of the rain it would normally see for the whole month of March. Average rainfall for March in Cali is around 150mm.
Central areas of the city were flooded after the Cañaveralejo river broke its banks. The Cauca river is also high and a Yellow Alert has been issued.
The Cali Fire Department responded to over 60 incidents. A mother and her child died when a landslide destroyed a house in the Siloé district of the city. Another landslide blocked a road in Pance, to the south west of the city.
Heavy rain has affected parts of the Valle del Cauca Department over the last week. Civil Defence reported 35 people were affected by flooding in Versalles municipality on 08 March. One house was destroyed and several others damaged.n Huila Department, emergency teams recovered 3 bodies from a vehicle that had become trapped in flood waters of the Frio River in the municipality of Rivera on 01 March 2021. According to Colombia’s Civil Defence, the deceased included the consul of Panama. Firefighters were able to rescue the driver and two passengers.
Meanwhile in Antioquia Department, heavy rain caused a landslide on a road near El Retiro on 01 March 2021. The department’s disaster agency Dagran Antioquia, reported 1 person died and 6 were injured.
