Colombia’s National Meteorological Institute (IDEAM) has raised alerts in Bogota and Cali over mass flooding, sewer clogging, and vehicular chaos brought on by heavy rainfall.
According to the District System of Emergency Prevention and Attention (SDPA), several homes in Bogota have been flooded while others have been evacuated.
The Autonomous Regional Corporation (CAR) says that river levels have not yet been affected, however, according to IDEAM, rainfall will continue in the capital during the coming days. People residing along the Bogota River are being advised to avoid any construction projects in their homes and to remain vigilant while taking every necessary step to prevent emergencies.
In Cali there is an ongoing risk of landslides from the damming of the Melendez River, where seven people were killed on Sunday, newspaper El Espectador reports.
A group of school children aged five to eight also had to be rescued from school vehicles trapped in floodwaters that had inundated the street.
According to a report filed by Cali firefighters, “there is growth of the rivers Cali, Melendez and Pance,” which could all be areas of high-risk.
The rains have also caused problems in the water supply of the Cauca River due to turbidity, which affects water quality. This situation has forced the Cali Municipal Enterprises to suspend operations in certain sectors.
Since the start of Colombia’s second rainy season in September, floods and landslides have been responsible for multiple road closures, over 70 deaths and the destruction of hundreds of homes.