Colombian disaster and relief agencies met Monday to prepare hurricane contingency plans for Colombia’s Caribbean coast.
The meeting included state and non-profit organizations who reviewed existing emergency plans, identified vulnerable areas, and estimated the government’s current ability to provide relief.
The director of risk at the ministry of the interior, Carlos Marquez, said that mock evacuations would be conducted in the San Andres archipelago July 29 and 30.
Ricardo Lozano, Director of IDEAM, the Colombian hydrology department, warned that the country was by no means safe from hurricane damage. “Do not let your guard down,” said Lozano, “we must take into account that the hurricane season runs through November.”
The meeting identified the Colombian departments of Antioquia, Guajira, Cordoba, Sucre, Atlantico, Bolivar, and San Andres as particularly vulnerable to hurricanes.
Colombia’s hurricane season typically runs from August to November. It is believed that warmer waters will likely result in more hurricanes for the region in addition to rising sea levels.