Landslide Antioquia, Colombia, March 2021
© DAGRAN AntioquiaLandslide Antioquia, Colombia, March 2021
Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) reported that 15 people have lost their lives due to severe weather so far this year (01 January to 12 March 2021).

UNGRD added that a further 16 people have been injured and 2 are still missing. A total of 5,854 families have been directly affected. During this period there have been 289 severe weather events, including 146 landslides, 45 floods and 32 flash floods.

Severe weather events have been registered in 176 municipalities in 23 departments, in particular in Nariño, Huila, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Antioquia and Valle del Cauca.

Parts of Valle del Cauca have seen heavy rain resulting in floods and landslides since around 08 March, 2021. The heavy rain caused flooding in parts of Santiago de Cali, capital of Valle del Cauca Department, on 10 March. Two people died in a landslide in the Siloé district of the city.

Civil Defence reported fatalities as a result of flooding in the municipalities of Florida (1 fatality) and Pradera (1 fatality) on 08 March. On the same day 35 people were affected by flooding in Versalles municipality on 08 March, where one house was destroyed and others damaged.

On 12 March flooding in Jamundi municipality affected 65 people and the following day floods in Bugalagrande municipality affected 1,190 people, destroyed 2 homes and damaged 6. Local media also reported 2 fatalities as a result of lightning strikes in the municipalities of Palmira and Caicedonia.

Flooding has also affected Miranda municipality in the Cauca Department, around 50km south east of Santiago de Cali. According to Civil Defence figures, 3 houses were damaged and 15 people affected on 14 March 2021.