The rains continue generating emergencies throughout the department of Huila. Landslides, overflows, damage to crops and damage to homes are situations that are experienced daily.
Maria Camila Mosquera M.
Newspaper of Huila, Region
Municipalities such as Neiva, La Plata, Villavieja, Palermo, among others, have been seriously affected by the rains, the closure of roads and landslides not only on national roads, but also on municipal roads and villages, which worry the opitas.
mist
Yesterday’s day of emergencies began in Neiva, with the fall of some trees, which blocked roads.
From very early on, Firefighters worked cutting trees that fell on structures in different sectors of the city. One of the most notable cases was recorded in the Tenerife Bajo neighborhood, where a tree affected the zinc roof tiles of a house.
Another incident occurred in the La Magdalena Complex, located in front of the Surcolombiana University, where a tree fell on at least six vehicles, causing considerable damage to them.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported in any of the events.
Likewise, trauma was recorded on the road that leads from Neiva to Rivera, due to the increasing flow of the Arenoso River, which forced the suspension of the passage through the raft. This forced heavy-duty vehicles to use the road through Juncal, where there was a road closure by the community.
Landslide in La Plata
Two people who were traveling through the area were dragged by the earth and stones that fell from a mountain.
A landslide on the La Plata – Inzá highway, El Dinde sector, left two people injured. According to witnesses, the injured were immediately taken to the San Antonio de Padua hospital in La Plata, Huila.
In the video recorded by a woman, it is observed when the landslide begins to generate while some people decided to wait and did not get to safety.
It was at that moment that a large rock came off, which dragged the material that finally threw these two people into an abyss.
Palermo
Likewise, the rains in the municipality of Palermo generated a landslide on the road that leads to the municipality of Teruel, where the rockfall caused the closure of one of the lanes.
There, staff from the Mayor’s Office and the general community carried out work to keep one of the lanes open and avoid traffic congestion, while the yellow machinery arrived at the scene.
The rains will continue
It will continue to rain in Huila, and rainfall volumes could be up to 30% above the normal average. These were the statements of Ofelia Ángel Oviedo, IDEAM Huila – Caquetá official.
Who pointed out that despite the fact that the “La Niña” phenomenon is dissipating, the rainy season that has begun could end with levels of rain above usual due to wet fronts coming from the Brazilian Amazon.
climate transition
It should be remembered that, in recent months, the influence of the “La Niña” phenomenon generated sudden changes in temperature in the Pacific Ocean and affected the climate in the region.
In January, which is part of the first dry season of the year, rains were recorded due to the “La Niña” phenomenon. In February, on the contrary, the rains were below normal, but the temperatures were very high, with peaks in Huila between 37 and 38 degrees Celsius.
The regional official also indicated that March is a transition month between the first dry season and the first rainy season of 2023. Therefore, sunny days interspersed with rainy days are expected in the region, for which she recommended being prepared. for the rainy season, especially in areas vulnerable to flooding and landslides.
“March is a transition month between the dry season and the first rainy season of the year. The rains that we have had these days are rains generated by humidity that is entering from the southeast of the Brazilian Amazon; Therefore, we are going to have rainy days interspersed with sunny days, specifying that this rainy season will last until the beginning of June,” Oviedo pointed out.
Alert
According to the expert, the rainfall that corresponds to the first rainy season could be between 20% and 30% above the normal average, so it is important to be attentive to the recommendations of the authorities.
Therefore, the Departmental Government indicated that preventive measures have been taken to guarantee the safety of the inhabitants of the department, but that the population is recommended to be attentive to the notices and alerts issued by the authorities and take the necessary precautions, since In addition, the rains can affect mobility on roads and public services, so measures must be taken to prevent inconveniences.
Regarding the issue, Dilberto Trujillo Dussán, Secretary of Agriculture and Mining of Huila, indicated that “the rains return and this mainly disadvantages rural producers, especially when we are about to start the coffee harvest in the west and north of the department of Huila.
Undoubtedly, we are going to be affected, so we are already preparing to face the situation, with maintenance work on tertiary roads, in terms of harvesting the coffee crop, and everything that may be affected by the rains. ”, he pointed out.
Trujillo also added that these climate variability phenomena drastically impact crops, so adaptation and mitigation actions must be generated, for which he added that “this situation has a strong impact on plants, initially exposing them to periods of heat and later heavy rainfall, which could then close with a period of intense drought; In other words, these are effects of climate change, and without a doubt we have to continue preparing for it”.
It is important to remember that the rains are a blessing for agriculture and fauna in the region. However, it is necessary to be careful in the face of excess rain that could generate natural disasters.
Huila hydrological alerts
According to the situational bulletin of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, which consolidates the information on rainfall alerts in force together with the summary of affectations for this March 12, it has been established that in the department of Huila there is an orange alert and yellow for hydrological alerts.