Colombia faces these days two climatic extremes at the same time. While in the east of the country the rains keep floods, flash floods, landslides and thousands of affected familiesthe high temperatures they continue to hit the Caribbean with thermal sensations of more than 40 degrees.
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In the context of the current meteorological contrast, the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) has paid special attention to the winter emergency.
Winter is destroying important roads in the department of Boyacá. Photo:Boyacá Governorate
The director, Javier Pava Sánchezled a Sunday National Disaster Management Committee with the purpose of coordinating the institutional response to emergencies caused by the rainy season.
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The entities that make up the National System for Disaster Risk Management (SNGRD) participated in the meeting, with actions focused mainly on Arauca, Boyacá, Casanare and Norte de Santander.
Winter is destroying important roads in the department of Boyacá. Photo:Supplied to EL TIEMPO
He preliminary balance delivered by the entity accounts for 24 municipalities affected, 16,769 families affected, 298 homes affected and two missing people as a consequence of events associated with flash floods, floods, torrential floods and mass movements.
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One of the departments with the most critical situation is still Casanarewhere the rains have caused simultaneous emergencies in several municipalities and maintain important effects on road infrastructure, housing and services. For this reason, since Saturday, the departmental authorities decreed the public calamity.
This is how the municipality of Casanare ended up with 90% of its urban area under water. Photo:Casanare Governorate
The governor Cesar Ortiz Zorro He moved on Sunday towards the municipality of The Salinawhich remains in solitary confinement due to the serious damage caused by the rainy season on the national road Los Libertadores.
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There, a torrential avenue affected several homes in the urban area and forced the institutional response to be reinforced to attend to the affected families. In parallel, another flight was scheduled from Yopal with humanitarian aid intended for affected people.
This is how the municipality of Casanare ended up with 90% of its urban area under water. Photo:Casanare Governorate
The visit to The Salina It occurred after the departmental leader led the cleaning and debris removal efforts in San Luis de Palenquehe municipality hardest hit by floods during the last few days.
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In that population, the sudden floods of the Pauto river left under water near the 90 percent of the urban areaforcing evacuate dozens of families and enable temporary shelters.
There are already almost 7,000 families affected in Casanare. Photo:Casanare Governorate
Although the authorities reported that the water level had already dropped considerably and the recovery phasethe cleaning days continue, the restoration of public services and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
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The effects, however, extend far beyond San Luis de Palenque. Municipalities like Nunchía, Maní, Sabanalarga, Paz de Ariporo, Támara, Tauramena, Trinidad, Villanueva, Sácama and La Salinaamong others, report floods, road damage, mass movements and effects on housing and public infrastructureaccording to the consolidated report of the departmental emergency.
Floods in Casanare already leave nearly 6,000 victims. Photo:Casanare Governorate
The emergency is not limited to Casanare. In Boyacáthe rains they maintain the public calamity in 22 municipalities. The greatest effects are concentrated in Güicán and Cubaráwhere the destruction of bridges and the damage to the road infrastructure keep incommunicado to various communities.
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In Araucathe rainy season has caused one of the more severe emergencies of recent years and also declared the public calamity.
The flash floods and river overflows caused the collapse of a military bridge and serious damage in strategic corridors such as Tame-Arauca, Saravena-Cubará roads and the Sovereignty Routeleaving the department practically isolated by road.
San Luis de Palenque is the municipality most affected by the floods in Casanare. Photo:Casanare Governorate
Besides, thousands of families have been affected due to flooding, riverbank erosion and losses to homes, crops and livestock.
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In North of Santanderthe municipalities of Labateca, Toledo, Cácota and Chitagá The main effects are concentrated, being located in the Chitagá river basin.
Preliminarily, the department’s Risk Management Secretariat reports around 300 families affected and affectedin addition to loss of bench and restricted passage in the national road La Soberanía.
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