Colombia Floods

Overview

Beginning January 26, 2026, an atypical Caribbean cold front pushed moisture-laden air into northern Colombia, dumping a month's worth of rain in as little as 14 hours in some areas. The Sinú River and its tributaries overflowed their banks across Córdoba department, where more than 80 percent of the territory was submerged according to the UN. By mid-February the death toll had reached at least 44 across 16 departments, with 72,000 families (approximately 300,000 people) affected, 12,000 homes damaged, 4,000 destroyed, and over 150,000 hectares of farmland inundated. More than 263,000 head of livestock were at risk. President Gustavo Petro declared a national emergency on February 12, authorizing $2.2 billion in emergency spending. Twenty-four of Córdoba's 30 municipalities were placed under emergency status, with 12 in critical condition. The Colombian Red Cross, supported by the European Union, deployed emergency water systems and distributed thousands of humanitarian kits. Samaritan's Purse delivered over 3,000 food kits and deployed a mobile medical unit that treated more than 7,000 patients. Americares activated its crisis response to provide medical supplies. Flooding continued into April as saturated ground and new weather systems compounded the crisis.