Colombia is experiencing a climate emergency. Rains up to 180% above the historical average have caused massive floods in several departments. More than 69,000 families report damage to their homes and crops. The season of intense precipitation keeps relief agencies on alert.
Hydrological Modeling and Early Warnings: Key Tools 🚨
Managing this type of emergency relies on technical systems. Hydrological modeling with specialized software allows predicting the behavior of watersheds. Combined with data from rain gauges and satellites, risk maps are generated. These early warnings are vital for coordinating evacuations and mobilizing resources to areas with the highest probability of overflows.
Your Phone Announces red alert... While You Announce a Selfie 🤳
It's curious. We receive an official notification with a siren tone warning of imminent danger. And, in an act of modernity, the first thing we do is take out the phone to record the stream that's already carrying away the neighbor's car. We upload the video to social media with a It's raining so hard! while the water reaches our ankles. Technology warns us, but our instinct to document everything sometimes overrides the one to stay safe.