Colombia: Warnings but No Action Preceded Deadly Flood in Colombia

Apr 4, 2017 | Ben Fox and Alba Tobella, Associated Press
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People were caught off guard when a devastating flash flood surged through a small city in southern Colombia, but not everyone was surprised. Government agencies, land use experts, and environmental organizations had said for years that Mocoa could face dangerous flooding. Many who lived in the most vulnerable areas were aware of the warnings, even if they didn’t heed them. And yet the city continued to spread into the floodplains west of downtown.