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Colombia: Floods in Riosucio, Chocó

Categories: Latin America, Colombia, Citizen Media, Disaster

The recent winter weather in Colombia [1] has been picked up by traditional media and social networks are talking about the flooding, landslides and uprooted trees happening there. The national news reports that 28 of the 32 departments in Colombia have been affected; on Twitter [2], via Territorio Chocoano’s account (@chocoanos [3]), people have been following the difficult situation in the Chocó department [4] of northeast Colombia, especially in the Riosucio municipality [5].

Territorio Chocoano (@chocoanos [6]) reports:

Cada vez es mayor la emergencia que se vive en el Chocó por el desbordamiento de los ríos Atrato y el San Juan

Each time the disaster experienced in Chocó is greater because of the overflowing of the Atrato and San Juan rivers

Territorio Chocoano (@chocoanos [7]) adds:

El agua tiene anegados los cuatro kilómetros cuadrados del casco urbano del municipio de Riosucio (Chocó) #SOSColombia [8]

The waters have flooded four square kilometers in the town center of Riosuicio (Chocó) #SOSColombia [8]

House flooded in Riosucio [9]

Flooded house in Riosucio from blog Libreta de Apuntes – Creative Commons 3.0 License

In the blog Mira Sysmaya [10] [es], they share some information from El Colombiano [11] [es]:

Riosucio está bajo el agua. Desde hace 30 días los niveles del río Atrato han crecido al tope hasta alcanzar los tres metros de altura, dejando por lo menos 1.200 viviendas anegadas.

Riosucio is underwater. For the past 30 days the level of the Atrato river has grown at every drop of rain and now reaches 3 meters high, leaving at least 1,200 homes flooded.

The article also touches on the general situation in Colombia:

Desde el pasado 18 de noviembre el Presidente Juan Manuel Santos, declaró la calamidad pública en 28 de los 32 departamentos. Sin embargo, esta figura no le permite al Gobierno Nacional asumir compromisos económicos que comprometan multimillonarias inversiones.

This past November 18th, President Juan Manuel Santos, declared a state of emergency in 28 of the 32 departments. However, this figure doesn't allow the National Government to assume any economic commitments which would add up to many millions of dollars.

In the blog Libreta de apuntes [12] [es] they write:

De lo que ocurre en Riosucio, Chocó no hablan los grandes medios de comunicación. Quizá porque están ocupados en atender las tragedias de otras ciudades más grandes y cercanas.

What is happening in Riosucio (Chocó) isn't being talked about in the big media channels. Maybe because they are busy covering other tragedies in bigger cities closer to home.

In his own words, representative of Riosucio Darío Blandón gives an account of the situation:

Darío Blandón, el Personero de Riosucio reporta que “toda el área urbana del municipio está inundada inclusive la vía carreteable hasta el batallón del Ejército Nacional.

El centro de Salud, las escuelas y colegios también están sumergidos. No hay una sola vivienda que esté por fuera de las aguas. “La gente sale de sus casas por las ventanas y los techos”.

Darío Blandón, the spokersperson of Riocuscio reports that “the whole city is flooded including the road to the highway up to the National Army batallion.

The health center, the elementary and high schools are also submerged. There is not a single house that is above the waters. “The people are leaving their houses through the windows and roofs.”

Finally, through Twitter [13] and also Facebook [14] an image originating from NASA [15] has been circulating. The image speaks for itself to the causes of the recent winter weather. Daniel Urrea (@DanielUP [16]) shares the image and his interpretation of it:

En la NASA descubrieron que, literal y visualmente, somos el asshole del planeta http://bit.ly/e1xzvu [17] (vía @Telemedellin [18])

At NASA they discovered, visually and literally, we are the asshole of the planet. http://bit.ly/e1xzvu [17] (vía @Telemedellin [18])