Attachments
Description of the Event
Date of event
02-11-2023
What happened, where and when?
Due to the eects caused by the Atmospheric Disturbance (AL97), on 2 November 2023, the Mayor's Oce of Cartagena de Indias declared a state of public calamity in the district, through Decree No. 1441 (1). On the same date, the Municipality of Zona Bananera, Department of Magdalena, issued Decree No. 410, extending the Declaration of Calamity the municipality, previously issued by Decree No. 085, indicating recent aectations caused by heavy rains (1).
Since October 30, heavy and prolonged rains were recorded in the Colombian Caribbean, which aected the north of the country, especially in the coastal area, with greater intensity in the departments of La Guajira, Bolivar, Magdalena, and Atlántico. According to the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD, by its initials in Spanish), the rains caused multiple oods, landslides, communication problems and families aected by the eects of Atmospheric Disturbance (AL97), which was a weather instability that altered atmospheric conditions and caused strong winds and rainfall (2).
The Colombian Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology, and Environmental Studies (IDEAM, by its initials in Spanish) issued a cyclone warning on 30 October, through Special Communiqué No. 1, by which it activated the National Tropical Cyclone Warning Protocol and alerted government authorities and the National System for Disaster Risk Management (SNGRD, by its initials in Spanish) on the possibility of the development of a tropical cyclone that would cause increased rainfall, winds and thunderstorms. These eects were manifested in the west of the Caribbean Sea during the following days, aecting, with heavy rains wide sectors of the northern of the country, especially in the coastal area of the Caribbean Sea (3).
On 3 November 2023, the IDEAM issued Special Communiqué No. 009, warning that the atmospheric disturbance would continue and would keep generating heavy and moderate rains in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, including electrical activity over the center and west of the maritime area. This situation caused intense and continuous rains for more than 7 days, causing soil saturation, mass movements, blockage of roads, ash oods, gales, winds, and increased levels of water sources, this caused ooding in the city of Cartagena de Indias, in the department of Bolivar; in the Municipality of Zona Bananera, in the department of Magdalena; in the Municipality of Soledad, in the department of Atlántico; and in the Municipality of Manaure, in the department of La Guajira (4).
According to the reports consolidated by the regional oces, around 13,696 families (41,088 people) were aected by the emergency, with damage to their homes, limited access to drinking water, and livelihoods aected. Of these, 600 families were in the department of Atlántico, 10,200 families in the department of Bolívar, and 2,896 families in the department of Magdalena (5).
Chronological summary of events:
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30 October 2023: The Colombian Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM, by its initials in Spanish) issued a cyclone warning through Special Communiqué No. 1, through which it activated the National Tropical Cyclone Alert Protocol and alerted government authorities and the National System for Disaster Risk Management about the possibility of the development of a tropical cyclone that would cause increased rainfall, winds, and thunderstorms.
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30 October 2023: Heavy rains begin on the Colombian Caribbean coast.
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2 November 2023: The Mayor's Oce of Cartagena de Indias declared a state of public calamity in the District, by Decree No. 1441 (1).
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2 November 2023: The municipality of Zona Bananera, department of Magdalena, issued Decree No. 410 extending the Declaration of Calamity in the municipality, previously issued by Decree No. 085.
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3 November 2023: IDEAM issued Special Communiqué No. 009, warning that the atmospheric disturbance continued and would continue to generate heavy and moderate rainfall in the northwest Caribbean Sea, including electrical activity over the center and west of the maritime area.
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11 November 2023: Start of IFRC-DREF operation in the Colombian Caribbean coast to support people aected in the departments of Atlántico, Bolívar, and Magdalena.