Santa Marta declares red alert over flash floods — The Rio Times
On October 24, the Colombian city of Santa Marta declared a red alert due to the risk of flash floods on the Piedras and Manzanares rivers. Heavy rains flooded city streets, including sections of the tourist road to Minca and the entrance to the Curinca district, The Rio Times reports.
Emergency services response
The city’s emergency response service, Ogricc, opened a coordination center and deployed heavy equipment to critical areas. After the Tamaca stream overflowed in Villa Betel, families received more than 100 aid items, including food, hygiene products, kitchen utensils, mattresses and bedding.
Colombia’s National Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies, IDEAM, also recorded flooding in Santa Marta’s urban area and the Gaira River overflowing. The institute warned of possible flash floods on the Córdoba and Toribio rivers near the city of Ciénaga.
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Flooding in Cartagena and other departments
In Cartagena, rain fell for more than five hours and caused flooding in a number of neighborhoods. Water entered homes in Las Palmeras, Fredonia, San Fernando, Olaya Herrera, San Pedro, Villa Rosita, Cerros de Albornoz, Nelson Mandela and El Pozón. A tree fell in the Cartagenita district, and one person was rescued from a car blocked by water.
Cartagena Mayor Dumek Turbay suspended the opening of the first two kilometers of the Gran Malecón del Mar promenade due to the bad weather. President Abelardo de la Espriella was expected to attend the event. The storm also damaged a lightning rod and a transformer of the pumping system of the Aguas de Cartagena water utility, leaving about 15% of users without water supply.
Flooding was also recorded in the departments of Magdalena, Sucre, Córdoba and Atlántico. In Barranquilla, according to the fire service, a water current swept away four cars. As of the morning of October 25, there were no reports of confirmed deaths, but a full assessment of damage and those affected had not yet been released.
