Definición y clasificación de las avenidas torrenciales y su impacto en los Andes colombianos

Abstract

Las avenidas torrenciales son una de las amenazas de origen hidrometeorológico de mayor capacidad destructiva en términos de vidas humanas y pérdidas económicas, especialmente en ambientes montañosos y tropicales como Colombia. Sin embargo, no existe en nuestro país un consenso con respecto a la clasificación y terminología de eventos tipo flujos que permita caracterizar adecuadamente estos fenómenos. El presente artículo analiza el impacto, distribución espacial y temporal de dichos eventos en Colombia, y describe sus tipologías con base en las clasificaciones de fenómenos tipo flujo que se encuentran en el estado del arte. Se propone una clasificación de eventos tipo avenida torrencial para Colombia que incluye tres tipos de fenómenos: creciente súbita, inundación de escombros y flujo de escombros.Ideas destacadas: artículo de revisión que propone una clasificación para los eventos tipo avenida torrencial en Colombia a través de un estudio del estado del arte en el tema a nivel mundial y, además, un análisis del impacto, distribución espacial y temporal de las avenidas torrenciales en el país.

Application of a Regionalization Method for Estimating Flash Floods: Cuautepec Basin, Mexico

“…Aristizábal et al [9] present a quantification of torrential floods and the population affected by torrential floods in various places in Colombia; they carried out torrential flood classification in terms of flash floods, debris flow, and debris flooding, reporting the last item as that with the greatest capacity for destruction. Due to the fact that there is no unanimity on the definition of torrential floods, the authors concluded that it is difficult to propose a methodology for threat assessment.…”

Determination of Hazard Due to Debris Flows

“…In the European Alps between 1987 and 2012, debris flows caused the death of more than 200 people and losses of more than 5 billion euros [8]. In Colombia, between 1921 and 2018, the occurrence of 1358 events was reported, which caused the death of 3318 people, affected 1,264,705 people, destroyed 13,698 houses, and affected another 23,694 houses [9]. In Venezuela, heavy rains between 14 and 16 December 1999 generated debris flows that caused about 30,000 deaths and losses estimated at $1.79 billion [10].…”

Determination of Hazard due to Debris Flows

“…In the European Alps in the period between 1987 and 2012, debris flows caused the death of more than 200 people and losses of more than 5 billion euros [8]. In Colombia, between 1921 and 2018, the occurrence of 1,358 events was reported, which caused the death of 3,318 people, affected 1,264,705 people, destroyed 13,698 houses and affected another 23,694 houses [9]. In Venezuela, heavy rains between 14 and 16 December 1999 generated debris flows that caused about 30,000 deaths and losses estimated at $1.79 billion [10].…”