COLOMBIA: Months of heavy rains and floods leave economic devastation in their wake

Record ID: 333205

  • Title: COLOMBIA: Months of heavy rains and floods leave economic devastation in their wake
  • Date: 15th December 2011
  • Summary: SUCRE, COLOMBIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LIVING AT THE SIDE OF ROAD WHERE THEY SOUGHT DRY LAND
  • Embargoed: 30th December 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Colombia, Colombia
  • Country: Colombia
  • Topics: Disasters,Weather
  • Reuters ID: LVABST7O76SSU75RBBPXLKBMISU5
  • Story Text: Disastrous flooding in recent months has left large swathes of Colombia underwater as the La Nina phenomenon - which started dumping heavy rain on the South American country last year - continues to wreak havoc.
    La Nina has caused landslides and destroyed roads, bridges and homes, killing dozens and leaving thousands more homeless.
    The rising waters have killed more than 120 people and, according to the Red Cross, more than 500,000 Colombians have fallen victim to floods and landslides caused by the country's second rainy season which started in September.
    Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos called the rains the single most challenging aspect his administration has had to face since taking office last year.
    "The damned La Nina [weather phenomenon] has been my government's karma. Since the first day I took office, La Nina was already taking shape. It was already raining more than normal and it has been the worst problem we have faced in the 16 months I've been in office," Santos said.
    Numerous landslides in various parts of the country have left parts of the highway system in shambles as hundreds of road closures have blocked trucking routes bringing parts of the economy to a near standstill.
    But the highway closures have blocked more than commercial traffic. Thousands of residents have taken to traversing precarious passes or directly over fallen rubble and debris as they try to get to safety.
    Emergency workers have been working to clear the debris and reopen routes, but massive traffic jams persist.
    The complicated roads are also expected to impact the tourism industry as Colombians gearing up for the holiday travel season decide to stay put.
    The government has been forced to pour millions into repairing the roads as they try to keep up with the damage done.
    "More than 1,600 kilometres [1,000 miles] of roads have been affected in more than 310 locations throughout Colombia. We have invested a little more than 1,200,000 million pesos, or about six or seven million [U.S.] dollars just to cover the emergency situation presented by the roads," Transportation Minister German Cardona said.
    The overwhelming floods have also brought anguish to much of the country's agricultural sector.
    Entire fields and farms were underwater as swollen rivers flow over their banks leaving grazing cattle wading through grasslands.
    Colombia's coffee output fell for the eighth straight month in November, dropping 13.7 percent from a year ago and flood waters have destroyed flower plantations in the world's second largest exporter of cut flowers after the Netherlands.
    The flower industry was already under pressure as a result of rising labour and materials costs.
    The La Nina phenomenon has been linked to unusual weather events across the globe. It was blamed this year for causing relentless heat and dryness that baked fields in the United States Plains and for heavy rains that damaged crops in Australia.
    After briefly subsiding this summer, cooling water temperatures in the tropical Pacific led La Nina to re-emerge which could have a significant impact on global grain production if it persists into next summer.
    "The Pacific Ocean has cooled more than 1.5 degrees [Celsius] (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit)] which has had immense affects. In fact, the affects, taking into account 2010 and 2011, have reached more than 3 million people, 27 departments and more than 100 municipalities. That is why we found it necessary to declare a state of disaster," Colombian risk management director, Carlos Ivan Marquez said.
    As the government tries to contain the damage, Colombians continue to battle the affects of the destructive weather with whatever means they have.
    La Nina is a natural phenomenon usually linked to extreme weather in Asia-Pacific, South America and Africa.
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