Colombia, a nation positioned at the northwest corner of South America, has two distinct coastlines: the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west. While the country is generally considered safe from the direct impact of major Atlantic hurricanes, this protection is not absolute. Certain Colombian territories are exposed to tropical cyclones, and the mainland is frequently affected by the indirect, yet damaging, consequences of these powerful weather systems.
Understanding Colombia’s Equatorial Shield
The mainland of Colombia is largely shielded from the most intense hurricanes by its proximity to the equator. Hurricane formation requires a significant rotational force, which is provided by the Coriolis effect. This effect is necessary to organize the swirling winds of a developing storm system.
However, the Coriolis force is nearly non-existent near the equator, specifically between approximately 4 degrees north and south latitude. Without this necessary force, a low-pressure system cannot generate the sustained rotation required to mature into a full-fledged hurricane. Most of the Colombian mainland falls within this zone of minimal rotational influence, meaning tropical disturbances generally fail to intensify into massive, destructive storms.
Direct Impact Zones: The Caribbean Islands
The exception to the mainland’s relative safety is the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina, which lies further north in the southwestern Caribbean Sea. These islands are situated outside the equatorial zone of minimal Coriolis effect, placing them directly in the path of westward-tracking storms. Consequently, they are the most vulnerable Colombian territory to a direct hurricane strike.
This vulnerability was demonstrated in November 2020 when Hurricane Iota, a Category 5 storm, made a direct hit on Providencia. The storm’s extreme winds and significant storm surge obliterated 56.4% of the island’s housing and severely damaged the remaining infrastructure. This event highlighted the catastrophic risk faced by the archipelago. The island chain has since focused on improving preparedness, which proved effective during the passage of Hurricane Julia in 2022, when successful evacuations helped prevent a similar disaster.
Mainland Effects: Tropical Storms and Heavy Rainfall
While the mainland rarely experiences the sustained winds of a major hurricane, it frequently suffers from the effects of passing tropical storms and waves. These systems, even when they do not reach hurricane status, bring torrential rainfall that saturates the country’s mountainous and coastal regions. This heavy precipitation is often exacerbated by phenomena like La Niña, leading to prolonged periods of intense rain.
The resulting saturation of the soil frequently triggers severe landslides, particularly in the Andean and Pacific regions, such as the department of Chocó. Furthermore, the northern Caribbean coast, including areas like La Guajira and Magdalena, experiences extensive inland flooding as rivers overflow their banks. This intense rainfall and subsequent flooding cause damage to infrastructure, disrupt supply chains, and destroy agricultural land, leading to internal displacement and economic hardship.