Miller 1

Shamari Miller
English 3
Mr. Phillips
08 May 2017
Massive Mocoa Flood

South America is no stranger to horrendous weather conditions. Located in the

southern hemisphere of the world, countries like Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and more

frequently experience excessive amounts of rain, flooding, and mudslides. Just in 2017

so far, Colombia has been hit with at least seven recorded floods (Floodlist). These

conditions cause tremendous amounts of destruction and more money being spent to

repair the country. Because of these conditions, the issue of poverty arises, and people

are unable to afford protection. The Pacific rim of South America has been hard hit in

recent months by floods and mudslides, with many killed in Peru and Ecuador as well.

Although weather is out of human control, many procedures are needed to be made to

protect these countries from natural disasters to come in the future, like barriers,

because fighting with Mother Nature is a battle that humans just cant win.

Creeping up in the middle of the night, citizens of Colombia were sound asleep

and unprepared for what they were about to come into contact with. The massive flood

ripped through the city of Mocoa, destroying anything in its path leaving behind mud and

debris. President Santos blamed the tremendous conditions on the recent weather

change in Colombia. Mocoa received one-third of its usual monthly rain in one single

night, he explained (Saldarriaga). The rain fell on Mocoa with an intensity and force
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that was without precedent and devastating," Santos said (Saldarriaga). "It rained in two

hours the same amount that falls in a month in Bogota, he added (Saldarriaga). The

WMO (World Meteorological Organization) blames the flooding on the huge amounts of

deforestation and poor land management (IRIN). Some scientist links the exceptionally

heavy rainfall and drought to a coastal El Nino event, where warmer winds and waters

surface near South America. Scientist fear that this effect, El Nino or not, is set to last

for awhile yet and could become a global phenomenon that affects everyone, Mocoa

citizen Pedro Mannucci explains (Grubb). Not only is weather to blame, but poor urban

planning has multiplied the impacts of flooding. Illegal settlements called invasiones are

the most vulnerable to flooding. Knowing the risks of settling there, settlers still takes

their chances staying there causing more destruction when a flood hits. Resident

Ernesto Blanco believes its God simply telling the world that hes present. Not everyone

was surprised by the flood (Casey). Government agencies, land use experts, and

environmental organizations has said for years that Mocoa could face dangerous

flooding. Unfortunately, in Colombia we dont have a good assessment of risk, or good

land use policies to prohibit people from settling into areas like these, said Marcelo

Quintero, a land researcher (Summers). Despite whats to come in the future, South

American countries are taking careful procedures to protect everyone from the next

natural disaster.

With the death toll rising over 210 and more than 130 millimeters wiping out cities

in Colombia, President Juan Manuel Santos declared Colombia a disaster zone. He

also said the avalanche of water and debris also destroyed roads, bridges, and knocked
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out power in half of the province of Putumayo, where Mocoa is located (Press). Gilma

Diaz was in shock returning back to what she called home was now just a floor (Press).

You have no idea how many children there are around here, Colombia resident

Abelardo Solarte said (ABC). Out of the 250 known to be dead, nearly 40 of them were

children under the age of eighteen. Mostly because the children were in bed sound

asleep when the floodwaters struck. Left with no shelter, electricity, and no drinking

water, citizens looked for their missing family members in the midst of the night. Many

people stood in the door of a hospital, hoping for news of family members who were not

on the list of those confirmed dead or injured. Others frantically knocked on relatives

doors, hoping to find someone with information about their loved ones. To know they

were alive, was a reunion of tears, Mario Usal explains after losing two of his daughters

and a nephew (ABC). President Santos promised immediate restoration of electricity as

soon as possible, as for anything else its going to be a working progress (Saldarriaga).

Though smaller numbers than Colombia, Peru has lost more than 70 people due

to the disastrous mudslides and floods. Barba Blanca is a city in Peru that was hit the

hardest by the Mocoa flood. A miracle, Diego Blanco describes, shocked by the sheet

of mud that wiped out Barba Blanca (Casey). With lampposts bent, sidewalks,

churches, and homes filled with sludge, and rooftops sitting blocks away from their

homes Barba Blanca was nearly wiped off the map, he added (Casey). Living in Peru

most of his life, Daniel Rojas Ponce has seen many floods but none as massive as this

one (IRIN). Many people hope and pray for the return of their missing family members

but the chance is not likely. Some residents like Ernesto Blanco thinks, this is God
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telling us he exists (Casey). Juan Chanchi de Ruiz, Peru resident, said the noise of the

surging flood woke her up and gave her enough time to get to higher ground (Press).

Her house wasnt severely damaged, but several neighbors homes were heavily

damaged and many people fled with some of their belongings. Around here, theres

nobody. Everybody left, she said (Summers). Columbia officials pledged aid to rebuild

homes, and the attorney general launched an investigation into whether local and

national authorities responded efficiently to the disaster (Saldarriaga). President Santos

also said they would launch a health and vaccination campaign in the city to prevent an

outbreak of disease (Saldarriaga). The Colombian Red Cross is working hard to locate

missing people, and provide essential care those injured. Though the Red Cross isnt

accepting money yet due to the lack of a system to distribute the funds, the organization

posts regularly about the progress going on in Colombia (Mendoza). The local

government could only offer sandbags, I felt useless; I could only watch as people lost

their livelihoods, explained Colombian resident, Gladys Chuga (ABC). The Agricultural

Ministry warned that a disaster like this would happen again, so it was important to take

steps to improve river banks and channel water away from the town (Press). The

Associated Press reported that the death toll may continue to rise, as more than 200

people are injured and relief workers are still searching for remains in debris throughout

the city (Press).

Being one of the poorest countries in the world, many organizations has stepped

in to do the best they can to reserve Colombia. Mocoa needs to rise up from this blow,

and it will, Peru resident, Juan Hernandez explained (Mendoza). Theres still hope in
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whats to come, we just have to work together to protect our country, he added

(Mendoza).
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Works Cited

ABC. "Search Resumes in Colombia after Flood Kills More than 250." ABC News. N.p., 03 Apr.

2017. Web. 28 May 2017.

Casey, Nicholas, and Andrea Zarate. "Mud Erased a Village in Peru, a Sign of Larger Perils in

South America." The New York Times. The New York Times, 06 Apr. 2017. Web. 28 May 2017.

Floodlist. "Colombia Floods and Flooding." FloodList. N.p., 20 Apr. 1970. Web. 28 May 2017.

Grubb, Jennifer, and Bethany Hines. "Support Victims of Flooding and Mudslides in Colombia,

Peru." CNN. Cable News Network, 05 Apr. 2017. Web. 28 May 2017.

IRIN. "Colombia, Peru Disasters Show Growing Risk from 'coastal El Nio'."

IRIN. N.p., 06 Apr. 2017. Web. 28 May 2017.

Mendoza, Samantha. "How To Help Colombia Flood Victims Recover After The Deadly Mudslide."

Bustle. Bustle, 02 Apr. 2017. Web. 28 May 2017.

Press, The Associated. "Desperate Search for Survivors in Colombia after Devastating Floods,

Mudslide." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 02 Apr. 2017. Web. 28 May 2017.

Press, The Associated. "Mocoa: Families in Flood-Hit Colombian City Search for Missing Children."

NBCNews.com. NBCUniversal News Group, 03 Apr. 2017. Web. 28 May 2017.

Saldarriaga, Jaime. "Rescuers, Locals Dig for Colombia Flood Victims, 254 Die." Reuters.

Thomson Reuters, 03 Apr. 2017. Web. 28 May 2017.

Summers, Hannah. "Colombia Landslide: Grief Turns to Anger as Mocoa Mourns in Pictures." The

Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 06 Apr. 2017. Web. 28 May 2017.

WMO. "Heavy Rains Cause Landslides, Flooding in Colombia and Peru." World Meteorological

Organization. N.p., 18 Apr. 2017. Web. 28 May 2017.

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