Rainfall 64% above average leads to floods and landslides in Colombia

Heavy rainfall in early February has triggered flooding and landslides across Colombia, leaving at least 13 people dead, according to national authorities and international agencies cited in the provided reports. Colombia’s disaster management agency UNGRD linked the fatalities to floods and landslides across multiple regions, including Nariño, Antioquia, Cauca, and several Caribbean coastal departments.

Colombia’s meteorological agency IDEAM reported that rainfall in January and early February reached 64% above historical averages, increasing flood and slope-failure risk as soils became saturated. IDEAM attributed the conditions to a cold front pushing south from the northern Caribbean, producing unusually intense rainfall for this time of year.

The deadliest single incident occurred in Nariño, where local authorities reported that a rain-swollen stream overflowed near Mallama on Feb. 7, triggering a landslide that buried houses, killing seven people. Footage released by authorities showed earth-moving equipment clearing mud while rescue teams and sniffer dogs searched the area.

UNGRD reported that six additional deaths occurred elsewhere in the country due to weather-related incidents.

On the Caribbean coast, continuous downpours caused rivers to overflow and affected multiple municipalities. The provided reports also state that more than 40,000 families in Córdoba were impacted, with flooding, infrastructure disruption, and access challenges complicating response activities.