Due to heavy winter, Bogotá authorities indicated 500 points that must be evacuated due to risks of collapse

The winter season that is coming to the country has been affected by heavy rains that have generated collapses and floods in different regions of the country. In the country's capital, the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies Ideam, and the District Institute for Risk Management and Climate Change Idiger, have indicated that torrential downpours will continue in the capital for the coming weeks.

“This is why citizens are invited to comply with the recommendations that the entities of the District System for Risk Management and Climate Change — SDG-CC have to counter possible events that may arise. It should be noted that the entities have Joint Construction Plans for the care and management of emergencies and that they are articulately strengthened for the response to events presented in Bogotá,” an Idiger spokesman told the radio station La W.

According to the environmental control and emergency authorities, 450 acts of evacuation and restriction of land use have been issued, due to landslides and landslides that have occurred in areas of illegal construction. One of the towns that has been most affected is Ciudad Bolivar.

The information provided by Ideam and Ideger indicate that the rains will remain as it is currently developing, with heavy rainfall in the afternoon and early morning.

“To date, 901 arboreal individuals have been overturned, which sometimes causes damage to electricity networks, mobility, homes and vehicles, situations that are dealt with by the Ministry of the Environment, Bogotá Botanical Garden, the Official Fire Department, Volunteer Firefighters and Civil Defense ” highlighted the District Institute for Risk Management and Climate Change.

Meanwhile, inhabitants of the affected sectors express their concern, this was the case of a resident of Ciudad Bolivar, John Hurtado, who told Caracol Noticias: “There are approximately 150 homes at risk here. They are houses made of wood, in sticks and the depth of the sticks does not exceed 70 cm.”

But Hurtado also highlighted the imminent risk of the adverse weather condition and the different people who are in the areas designated for evacuation: “Those ranches above, all those little houses where there are children, disabled people, elderly adults, who are at great risk because of the rains, because it has rained these days constantly and those grounds are mass removal.”

These emergencies and effects have Bogotá on orange alert, issued by the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies, IDEAM; according to this entity, the rains in the country's capital have increased due to an influx of moisture from the west and south west of the national territory; which can generate landslides. This will maintain the forecast with moderate to heavy rain in various sectors of the city, with a likelihood of thunderstorms.

IDEAM recommends to the community, among other measures: “Do not throw garbage or rubble in streams, rivers and streets of urban centers. Adhere to the indications and recommendations of control entities, emergency and response agencies. Provide and share with family and neighbors the telephone numbers of municipal response agencies. Monitor the state of the local aqueducts and carry out their preventive maintenance. Protect yourself from the rain with an umbrella or raincoat and leave warm to avoid colds.”

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