28 people have died in the first rainy season in Colombia

The Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Ideam) said that the first rainy season in Colombia will last until the last days of May. Since the phenomenon began on March 16, 28 people have been reported dead, 45 injured and one missing person throughout the country.

The data were provided by the National Crisis Room of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) in the most recent report. The document establishes that 276 emergencies were registered due to rainfall in 166 municipalities in 19 departments. Cundinamarca, Antioquia, Cauca, Tolima, Nariño, the Coffee Region are the areas with the greatest number of municipalities impacted by rainfall.

Emergencies have affected 5,177 families and 2,004 homes were reported with some kind of damage and 107 totally destroyed. There were also problems in terms of infrastructure: there were damage to 335 roads, 39 aqueducts, 14 sewers, 17 educational institutions and 34 vehicular and four pedestrian bridges.

UNGRD warned emergencies in Nariño as rains are causing landslides, damage to roads, aqueducts and river overflows. The same is true in Santander, as local authorities recorded damage to the roads in the municipalities of Onzaga, Santa Helena, El Carmen del Chucurí and Encino.

Ideam forecast by region

Savanna de Bogotá: Moderate to heavy rain is expected in the coming weeks in the afternoon and evening hours. There could even be high electrical activity during times of heavy rainfall.

Andean Region: The rains will also be moderate and if it is intense, there is a probability of electricity activity in Antioquia, Santanderes, Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Caldas, Risaralda, Quindio, west and south of Huila and Tolima.

Caribbean Region: Moderate and heavy rains are forecast especially south of Bolivar, Cesar and south of Magdalena.

San Andres and Providencia: in the coming weeks the weather will be dry.

Pacific Region: Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Cauca and Nariño will see most of the rainfall and there is a high probability of electric shocks.

Orinoquia and the Amazon: cloudiness and rains with electricity are forecast in the piedmont areas of Meta and the south and west of Vichada.

Due to rainfall in recent days, there is a probability of landslides, so Ideam issued a red alert for 14 departments in Colombia. Among these are: Antioquia, Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Meta, Nariño, Tolima, among others.

For Tunja, Chipaque, Fúquene, Gachancipá, Guachetá, Guatavita, Nemocón, Suesca, Tocancipá, Ubaté, Ocaña, Neiva, Pitalito and other municipalities in Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Huila, Norte de Santander and Tolima, there are orange and yellow alerts for the threat of vegetation cover fires. In La Guajira and Magdalena the probability is categorized as high.

In addition, special care is taken because of the high levels of some hydrographic areas, sudden increases, overflows and/or floods in the Rio Grande basin, which has the municipality of Turbo on red alert. For the San Juan River and its tributaries, special attention is recommended in the municipalities of Chocó and Risaralda.

In the Magdalena River there are also areas at risk of flooding, such as in Santander, at risk of sudden increases in Boyacá and Cesar. In fact, these increases have municipalities such as Melgar and Silvania at risk of overflows and floods along the Sumapaz River.

KEEP READING: