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Long rainy season expected in Bogota

By Manuel Rueda, Editorial Director

Tuesday, April 12, 2010

Constant rainfall and occasional hailstorms are expected in Bogota until June and local authorities say small floods could break out in several parts of the city.

The National Institute for Meteorology or IDEAM is saying that Bogota will undergo an extended rainy season where 5 to 7 day periods of continuous rain will be followed by 2 to 3 days without rain.

This comes as the city recovers from a two month drought that caused several forest fires in the mountains surrounding Bogota during January and February.

Local authorities say the extended rainy season could cause floods in more than 80 points across the city.

Floods are expected mostly in neighborhoods close to the cerros orientales or eastern hills, from which several streams flow down and also in the hilly localities of Suba and Ciudad Bolivar.

But floods are likely to affect the rich and poor alike say local authorities, who mention that in 2009, one of the most affected areas was the plush locality of Usaquen on the edge of the eastern hills where the basements of many apartment building filled up with water after a nearby stream overflowed.

Bogota´s Disaster Prevention Department or DPAE says 10,000 policemen, firemen, rescue workers, and public health workers have been trained and are prepared to deal with any flooding emergencies.

The DPAE is working with the mayor´s office to clear up drainage canals in the city´s streets and is also asking citizens to play their part by checking water pumps in their basement and clear out any items that may prevent water from exiting basements or from flowing down from roofs.