Four municipalities of Magdalena are ‘under water’ due to emergency after tropical storm

The Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) reported that tropical storm ETA will continue to define the weather in much of the national territory, especially in the Caribbean region.

This natural phenomenon caused the Fundación and Sevilla rivers to overflow their banks and cause emergencies during this weekend.

The municipalities affected by the winter wave so far are Fundación, Aracataca, El Retén and Zona Bananera. The Departmental Risk Management Office is responding to the call of the community with the support of the Civil Defense and Firefighters.

According to the authorities, so far they are more than 500 families affected by damage to the structure of their houses, food crops, loss of real estate and electrical appliances.

“We pay attention to the emergency due to flooding in the 13 neighborhoods due to the floodwaters of the river carrying water into the February 23 pipe which, due to damming, affected different homes “, said Karlos Omaña, director of Civil Defense.

In order to respond in a timely and efficient manner to the emergency presented by the flooding of the Fundación River and other tributaries that descend from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the departmental administration ordered fifty health professionals Y ten ambulances at the Foundation Hospital.

From the management of the San Rafael Foundation Hospital, the contingency plan was also activated with the authorization of 31 emergency beds and administrative areas were adapted as assistance areas to serve the affected population.

Regarding public health and epidemiological surveillance actions, the Departmental Health Secretariat, headed by Julio Salas, has established municipal health contacts to determine all prevention and mitigation actions that must be taken into account for temporary shelters. that have been arranged for the reception of affected persons.

“We will articulate inter-institutional efforts to adapt temporary shelters for the victims. The evacuation processes of the vulnerable population will continue to be ongoing “added Jaime Avendaño, director of the departmental office of Risk Management

Faced with the emergencies registered in the municipalities of Fundación and Aracataca, a public calamity was declared, which in turn adds to the declaration of calamity that this Saturday was extended to the entire departmental territory and that will be in force until December 30, with approval of the Departmental Council for Disaster Risk Management.

IDEAM also recommends maintaining alerts in the continental area, mainly in hillside areas where sudden floods, landslides and streams are possible, special attention deserves sectors of La Guajira, North of Cesar and Magdalena, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Atlántico, Bolívar, Sucre, Córdoba and Urabá.

Also in areas of the Andean region, in the departments of Antioquia, Norte de Santander, Santander, Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío, Chocó and Valle del Cauca, where heavy rainfall is expected.