Venezuela landslide

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Venezuela landslide

Causes

  • Unusually high rainfall. (ppt 40-50% above normal in Easten Carribbean.
  • Avalanche of rocks and mud poured down the slopes of 2000m-high Mount Avila, burying parts of the Central Coast
  • Rain triggered mudslides, landslides and flash floods
  • 10,000-50,000 lives lost. Exact figure not known
  • Government blamed corrupt politicians from previous governments and planners who allowed shanty towns to grow up in steep valleys surrounding the capital and Caracas

Effects

  • Mountainside slum dwellings either buried in mudslide or swept out to sea
  • Most of dead buried in mudslide 8-10m deep
  • Destroyed roads, bridges, factories, telecommunications, buried crops in the field ruined tourist industry
  • International airport of Caracas temporarily closed and highway destroyed and closed
  • Container ship in port damaged and hazardous material leaked into ground and sea.
  • Economic damage estimated at US$3 billion

Overall summary

Response -   immediate search and rescue operation to find survivors in mudflows, landslides and buildings. Provide emergancy relief (accommodation, water puritiation tablets, food and medicines. Relief operation severely hindered by poor state of infastructure. Government long term plan to encourage people to move away from over-crowded coast to in land.  Government Plans - Venezuelan government announced plans to restore Venezuela's northern coastal region by re-building thousands of homes, expanding the country's main airport and constructing canals to direct rivers away from communities. Parts of Vargas quickly rebuilt. Cities of Maiquetia, homes to the countrys main airport and La Guaira, the largest port rebuilt, then smaller towns, which had a tourist function. Towns which were swept out to sea will not be rebuilt. The land they occupied will be turned into parks, bathing resorts or outdoor facilities. 

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