On this Day: Mudslide in Colombia Kills 23,000

On Nov. 13, 1985, Colombia found itself victim of a natural disaster, as the volcano Nevado del Ruiz violently erupted. The eruption prompted a series of other natural disasters that killed 23,000 people, and left approximately 25,000 homeless. The most damaging features of Nevado del Ruiz’s eruption were the extensive flooding and mudslides it created. The destructive mixture of mud and water that can erupt from the slopes of volcanoes after an eruption are called lahars.

When the Nevado del Ruiz erupted, the peak’s ice caps melted, swelling the nearby river and spurring catastrophic floods and mudslides in the surrounding areas, devastating areas nearly 50 miles away. Following the volcanic eruption, the water level in the surrounding river rose 15 to 20 feet.

Armero and Chinchina were the two towns hit hardest by the lahars. The powerful floods and mudslides decimated the economies of the two towns. 

According to the New York Times: “Chinchina is the heart of Colombian coffee country. The high quality and abundance of beans grown here helped finance the National Center of Coffee Research, which was built on the banks of the river.” 

The floods destroyed the coffee crop, leaving thousands without jobs, and tore down eight bridges, cutting off Chinchina from the major city of Manizales.

The international community rushed to help Colombia face the disaster. The Colombian government suggested that those looking to send aid should send cash rather than relief items that were extremely complicated to transport. Colombia received massive support from international corporations and grassroots organizers alike.

Colombia received strong support from the United States, which donated more than $1 million in the first week after the disaster. Relief was an international endeavor as “at least 25 other nations [were] involved in aid efforts as well.”

A team of U.S. scientists has discovered a new way to predict lahars through studying the rocks surrounding volcanoes. 

“Their early warning system depends on noting the difference between fresh rocks and older, weaker ones,” reported BBC News.
 
Scientists detect the two different types of rock by studying the differences between electro-magnetic signals and radio waves that they reflect off a mountainside. These developments can help geologists identify areas that are extremely susceptible to lahars and potentially save thousands of lives.