Heavy rains from Tropical Storm Agatha in Xela, Guatemala. May 29, 2010. Photo by Benshounds / ENSBOGOTA, Colombia, November 30, 2010 (ENS) – The government of Colombia has declared a state of national catastrophe due to the intense rains that have inundated much of the country, causing more than 160 deaths and affecting more than 1.4 million people.

This declaration, which applies to 28 of Colombia’s 32 departments, allows the country to access international funds for response efforts. The intense rainy season has left 220 injured and damaged more than 230,000 houses. The heavy rain this rain season has also damaged many main and secondary roadways throughout the country, leaving some areas cut off from assistance. …  Venezuela itself is suffering from damaging floods and a severe rainy season that has affected more than 35,000 people. … The 2010 Atlantic hurricane season ends today, leaving more than 300 people dead across Central America. The hurricane season is blamed for the worst rainy season in Central America in the last 50 years, with flooding and mudslides leading to 300 deaths, mainly in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Hurricanes also left thousands of people homeless and caused USD$1 billion in damages. In addition, the Economic Commission for Latin America reports that the impact of climate change in the region between 2002 and 2008 is estimated at US$15 billion. According to the commission, if climate change trends continue on their present course, the cost of damages to agriculture, water resources and biodiversity by hurricanes and storms could reach US$73 billion in 2100. This figure is equivalent to 54 percent of the 2008 Gross Domestic Product for the seven countries that make up Central America.

Latin America Suffers Intense and Deadly Rains