Recent heavy rainfalls have worsened flooding problems across Colombia andVenezuela and created more flooding problems for areas that have beendevastated by flooding for several months.Some locations in northern and western Venezuela have picked up nearly 5 inchesof rainfall over the past couple of days. This heavy rain has also fallenacross eastern Colombia resulting in renewed flooding problems.
Flooded Street in Rio Chico,central Venezuela, 12/04/10. AP PhotoIn Venezuela, 34 people have been confirmed dead from flooding and mudslidesduring the last week alone. Months of heavy rainfall have claimed the lives ofat least 174 in Colombia.
Thousands of homes in Colombia have been destroyed with more than 1.5 millionpeople now homeless. In Venezuela, an estimated 73,000 people are homeless dueto the recent flooding problems.
During the most recent round of heavy rainfall, mudslides occurred blockingroadways between the towns of Cali and Buenaventura, stranding hundreds ofmotorists.
A canal broke in the department of Atlantico flooding at least six villages andleaving at least 20,000 people homeless.
Rainfall is expected to be lighter for the rest of the day on Sunday and Mondaybefore the threat for locally heavy rainfall from drenching thunderstormsreturns to both Colombia and western Venezuela during the middle of next week.
By AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Eric Leister
