'No family will sleep peacefully tonight': Mayor's anguished plea as 90% of Casanare town floods

San Luis de Palenque, a municipality in Colombia's Casanare department, is grappling with a severe flood emergency, described by its mayor as the worst in the town's history. Approximately 90% of the urban center and over 26 rural communities are submerged due to the overflowing Cravo Sur, Guanapalo, and Pauto rivers.

“

We have never experienced this flood before. Today it caught us in the early morning hours and, by the end of the day, the magnitude of this emergency was evident.

Mayor Ediber Vásquez has made an impassioned plea for help, stating that the situation is critical and has affected around 6,000 residents. He expressed deep concern for the safety of the families, noting that "no family will be able to sleep peacefully tonight" due to the rapid rise of the floodwaters. The mayor urged residents to accept preventive evacuations and move to the Coliseo Azul, a temporary shelter set up to house those displaced from their homes.

“

No family will be able to sleep peacefully tonight.

The departmental government is coordinating humanitarian aid, including mattresses, sheets, mosquito nets, and drinking water. A community kitchen, supported by local businesses and the regional administration, is providing meals for affected families. The Ideam (Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies) has warned that heavy rainfall is expected to continue in the coming days, exacerbating the risk of flash floods in the northern part of the department, which remains on high alert.

“

We want families from the urban area and those evacuated from the rural areas to come to the Coliseo Azul, so they can spend a night with less risk to their lives. That is what we are primarily seeking with these actions: to protect the lives of our families in San Luis.