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The second rainy season in the country has been one of the strongest during 2020. As indicated by the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Ideam), during the month of November, rainfall has increased above normal.
In the Andean region, where Norte de Santander is located, volumes range between 10% and 40%. Cúcuta and its metropolitan area have been one of the most affected areas, highlighting that in communes 1, 7, 8, 9 and 10, it is where the greatest number of emergencies occurred on Tuesday night, due to the great electrical storm that shook to the city, causing landslides and floods that left hundreds of families affected.
The neighborhoods of María Gracia, Villas de San Diego, Valles de Girón, Los Canarios and 23 de Enero were the hardest hit. The Secretary of Risk and Disaster Management, Huber Plaza, reported that since last week the plans to identify threats and vulnerable areas have been activated, to immediately attend to emergencies that cause the rains.
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The official highlighted that the overflow of the El Carmen de Tonchalá creek was attended by units of the entity on Tuesday night, which arrived at the place to carry out the evacuation of the affected families and offer protection. Although the material losses were great, fortunately there were no fatalities.
According to the information provided by the Cúcuta Volunteer Firefighters Corps, flood emergencies were attended in the El Contento, Cundinamarca, Nuevo Horizonte and Camilo Torres neighborhoods. Likewise, calls were answered from the community for fallen trees in the Belén and San José sectors.
On the road in the La Cabrera neighborhood, a large rock fell on the street, so it had to be demolished to enable the passage. Several landslides occurred in the Alfonso López, La Pastora and on the Ring Road neighborhoods.
Los Patios and Villa del Rosario
#Attention| This is how the International Highway is located at the height of Lomitas and the 20 de Julio neighborhood in Villa del Rosario.
Drivers who are currently moving say that the road is flooded by heavy rains. pic.twitter.com/4XWohamC6W– La Opinion newspaper (@laopinioncucuta) November 11, 2020
The Santa Rita sector in Los Patios was one of the most affected, since the Juana Paula creek left its channel directly affecting the roads, as it was maintained with a constant flow of mud, which entered the houses with force causing damage to at least 30 houses located around the creek.
mehe Nazaret neighborhood water channel reached its maximum alert level, about to overflow towards the roads of the sector.
In Monte Bello, the slope near the lagoon that communicates with the Pamplonita River suffered a landslide and scour due to the rains, which caused concern to the inhabitants, as these divisions of land that serve as a barrier collapsed.
In Villa del Rosario, the neighborhoods 20 de Julio, San Gregorio, La Esperanza and the area of the international highway were affected by floods, since the sewer grates are completely covered by garbage and debris that, irresponsibly , the community throws in these places.
From the municipal administration they sent a message to the residents of Rosario, so that they become aware of the public and avoid throwing garbage in the streets, so that these emergencies do not recur.
Clogged sewers
#CitizenReport| Inhabitants of the rural area of Cúcuta report that there is no passage from Aguaclara to Guaramito and the village of Campo Alegre due to the fall of a tree and the flood of the Pamplonita River, due to the rains of the last hours. pic.twitter.com/6do62sZRgh
– La Opinion newspaper (@laopinioncucuta) November 11, 2020
The concern of a large part of the inhabitants of the north-eastern capital has been based on the clogging of the sewers that have generated serious floods.
Marcela Rodríguez, deputy director of Management and Supervision of Public Services of the Cúcuta Mayor’s Office, specified that it is important to bear in mind that the city’s sewerage service is more than 50 years old and to date it is not managing to do its job well.
“In order to solve this problem, we must change the entire sewerage system in the city and it is quite expensive, and it is not something that can be done this year or the next,” said Rodríguez.
He added that another of the aggravating factors is pollution, plastic bags and waste have been accumulating and in this type of situation the consequences of this garbage are evident.
However, according to the official, clean-up work continues to be able to minimize the damage and floods that are generated as a result of these plugs.
Ideam Warning
Yolanda González, director of the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Ideam), told La Opinion that Colombia is under the influence of the second rainy season. For this reason, he specified that November is the second wettest month and also has the accompaniment of the La Niña weather phenomenon.
He recalled that the second season began in mid-September and passed through October and now passes through November, to reach a December that will be very rainy due to the La Niña phenomenon.
Regarding these next days, the Ideam requested that the measures be strengthened to face hydro-meteorological threats in Norte de Santander, such as landslides and sudden floods; given that for the department it is expected that this coming week will be rainy.
The foregoing is due to the fact that tropical waves are transiting that can cause serious emergencies in La Guajira, Magdalena, Cesar, Norte de Santander and Santander.
Likewise, Ideam warned that as of the weekend it is possible that very heavy downpours will occur in the region because the probability for the occurrence of so-called “extreme rainfall events” is very high.
Department
#Cucuta| The heavy rains of the last hours have increased the flow of the #RiverPamplonita. An aerial shot from the surroundings of the Benito Hernández bridge and Avenida Cero, shows the flood of the river during this Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/gX6atDObWU
– La Opinion newspaper (@laopinioncucuta) November 11, 2020
To date, the municipalities that have been most affected by the heavy downpours are Cúcuta, Arboledas, Sardinata, San Cayetano, Salazar, Labateca, Toledo, Puerto Santander and Santiago.
Adriana Milena Arias, director of Risk Management of the department, pointed out that in this situation they have been working with the municipal coordinators of Risk Management, mayors, relief agencies, National Police and National Army to be able to bring humanitarian aid to all affected families .
“We have 1,986 families registered as affected and we are doing the damage assessment, to later supply them with humanitarian aid and materials to be able to restructure the damage to the homes,” said the official.
Suspension of water service
The public utility company Aguas Kpital announced yesterday that there will be suspensions in the water service, due to the turbidity in the sources Zulia and Pamplonita due to the heavy rains.
“Production had to be interrupted and is in the process of normalization, a condition that means that services for the sectors supplied from Pamplonita are generally suspended,” the company reported.
It should be noted that turbidity is measured in NTU (Nephelometric Units of Turbidity). In summer, the sources maintain an average of 100 NTU and in winter, like the current one, this value is increased. Currently, turbidity above 15,000 NTU has been presented in the Pamplonita River and Zulia.
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Neighborhood leaders speak out about the situation
Juan Eliecer Sanguino- President of the Community Action Board La Cabrera neighborhood
The impact has been a bit complicated because, as has been shown, the part of sixth avenue between 16 and 17 collapsed the facade of a house, several trees have fallen, in addition to the floods that have occurred.
The Risk Management Secretariat has gone to the houses that have had serious damage, but we cannot say that they are aware of what is happening with the rains on a day-to-day basis.
Said Lozano – President JAC neighborhood January 23
It has rained these days, we have been affected but due to the downpour that fell last night (Tuesday) the Tonchalá stream overflowed, together with the La Brussels pipe and we got into the neighborhood, leaving more or less 70-80 families affected.
Jesús Horacio galviz Medina – Leader of the Campo Alegre neighborhood
The situation of the rains has left many floods in this sector and surrounding neighborhoods over the overflow of pipes and cause serious damage.
We are quite concerned about the issue, since the Mayor’s Office was present and they are evaluating the damage and then they will comment on solutions.
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