2016–17 South America floods

2017 South America floods

Flooding in La Tinguiña District, Peru
Date December 2016 – present
Location Much of South America, most notably Colombia and Peru
Deaths ≥418 deaths, >824 injuries, 361 missing

Starting in December 2016 and continuing through at least April 2017, South America has been plagued by persistent heavy rain events.[1] Multiple countries suffered substantial losses, with Colombia and Peru being particularly hard-hit.

Brazil

Heavy rains on March 11–13, 2017, including 110 mm (4.3 in) in 24 hours, caused flooding across Rio Grande do Sul, killing 2 people, injuring 70, and leaving 10 others missing.[2]

Chile

In late-February 2017, unusually heavy rains affected areas around Santiago. Flooding and landslides killed at least eighteen people and left few others missing.[3][4]

Colombia

On December 1, 2016, heavy rains in Cali triggered a landslide that claimed at least six lives. All the fatalities took place in the Siloe neighborhood where 14 homes were destroyed.[5]

Mocoa landslide

Rescuers combed piles of debris for potential survivors

During the overnight of March 31 – April 1, heavy rain affected parts of the Putumayo Department. A total of 130 mm (5.1 in) of rain fell within a few hours near the city of Mocoa.[6] This caused the Mocoa, Sangoyaco, and Mulata rivers to overflow and send mudflows towards residences and infrastructure in the city of Mocoa by 3:00 a.m.[7][8] Multiple neighborhoods were devastated in the disaster, with numerous residents caught off-guard. By the morning of 6 April, at least 301 people were known dead (including 92 children),[9][10][11] more than 400 were injured (including 167 children),[10] and a further 314 were missing.[9]

Peru

Peru has been particularly hard-hit with incessant, heavy rains since January 2017. More than 115,000 homes were demolished,[12] leaving approximately 178,000 people homeless. A total of 113 people were killed, 354 were injured, and a further 18 were missing.[13] More than 2,500 kilometers (1,500 miles) of roads have also been destroyed.[14] An estimated 1.1 million people have been directly affected by the floods. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted that 3 million people were at-risk for waterborne diseases.[15]

On March 16, a mudflow buried the village of Barbablanca; however, all 160 residents escaped.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "South America: Floods and Landslides - Dec 2016". ReliefWeb.int. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  2. ↑ Brazil - Severe Weather (Local Media, WMO, INMET) (ECHO Daily Flash of 13 March 2017) (Report). ReliefWeb. European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. March 13, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Chile floods leave millions of people without drinking water in Santiago". The Guardian. February 26, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Floods in Chile leave 18 dead and 450 evacuees". TRT Spanish. February 28, 2017. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  5. ↑ Monitoring Emergencies: Colombia - 12/02/2016: Strong rains in Cali cause flooding, landslides (Report). ReliefWeb. Pan American Health Organization. December 2, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  6. ↑ "234 killed, 400+ injured or missing in Colombia mudslide – Red Cross". RT. 2 April 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  7. ↑ Colombia – Avalancha e inundaciones en Mocoa (Putumayo) Flash Update No. 1 (01/04/17) (PDF) (Report) (in Spanish). ReliefWeb. UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 1 April 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  8. ↑ "Tragedia en Mocoa: "Eran las 3:00 a.m. cuando sintieron el remezón y la naturaleza los arrastró"". El País (in Spanish). 1 April 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  9. 1 2 "Colombia probes Mocoa landslide as death toll tops 300". Aljazeera. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  10. 1 2 "Tragedia en Mocoa: van 254 muertos y centenares de heridos por avalancha". Semana (in Spanish). 2 April 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  11. ↑ "Death toll 254 and counting as Colombia reels under mudslides". The Hindu. Mocoa: Associated Press. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  12. ↑ Wright, Pam (20 March 2017). "Flooding, Mudslides Strike Peru, Leaving 72 Dead and Thousands without Homes". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  13. ↑ "Perú Temporada de lluvias" (PDF). RedHum. April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Death toll rises to 113 in Peru floods, mudslides". Yahoo News. 19 April 2017.
  15. ↑ Peru: Heavy Rains and Floods Summary - UN Resident Coordinator Situation Report No. 05 (As of 5 April 2017) (PDF) (Report). ReliefWeb. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. April 5, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  16. ↑ Franklin Briceno (March 25, 2017). "Mudslide buries Peruvian village, leaving little to claim". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
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