It was in December of 1999 when the Vargas State (today La Guaira), Venezuela, witnessed a catastrophic tragedy that claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people, destroyed thousands of homes, and led to the complete collapse of the state's infrastructure.
Between December 14th and 16th, the entire area experienced heavy rainfall. It mainly affected the north-central coast of Venezuela, especially the state of Vargas. Experts argued that more than 911 millimeters of rain fell during this period, which is more than the usual annual rainfall for the region.
Unfortunately, this led the to the already unstable slopes of the coastal mountains to become saturated. This also included the Sierra de Avila. The area had already been known to be highly prone to landslides because of the steep mountains and the unstable clay soil. Since the heavy rains wouldn't stop for 48 hours, they soaked the ground and it gave way for thousands of small slides to quickly turn into fast-moving rivers of mud, rocks, trees, and massive boulders, according to reports from the tragic day.
The first major flows were recorded on the night of December 15. Through the night and into the morning, there was a series of waves of mud and floodwater surging towards the sea. Entire hillsides liquefied. Rivers overflowed, carving new channels several meters deep into the alluvial fan deltas along the coastline and covering them with thick layers of sediment. Later, less dense floodwaters inundated the region, cutting even deeper into the newly created flood deposits. In fact, geologists later calculated that some of these floodwaters traveled at the speed of up to 14.5 meters per second.
Leidy Crespo, a survivor from the Llano Adentro neighborhood, recalled the morning of December 16. “It was like being in a movie. I'll never forget it,” she said of the massive waves of mud and debris that swept everything away.
The afterlife was dead bodies buried under the mud. “You would be walking, and a buried body would appear. I can still remember the cries of people looking for their family members,” she recounted.
One story from this horrific event broke the hearts of millions of people worldwide.
Rescue operations started immediately, but the conditions were overwhelming. Communication network was down, the roads were all covered in mud, and a number of places couldn't be reached at all. Firefighters, soldiers, volunteers, and local residents did all in their power to save as many people as possible with the limited resources they had. Many recalled using only their bare hands to dig through the mud, which was still highly unstable, in desperate attempts to spot any signs of life.
Among the survivors was a desperate father buried in the mud almost up to his neck. When rescuers rushed to help him, he refused to be safe. According to the firefighter who rushed to his rescue, the father said, “Don’t take me out.”
He then uttered something heartbreaking: “It's just that I'm holding my two daughters by the hands.”
His daughters were dead under the mud, and he just couldn't let go of them, although he knew they were gone.
His story touched the hearts of many, and reminded everyone that father's love is greater than life.
Eventually, the father was taken out to safety, but his story serves as a reminder of the sacrifice a parent is willing to do for their children.
The National Housing Council (Conavi) reported that rebuilding costs reached $830 million, though some official sources suggest the true figure may be nearly double. The financial damage was huge, and today, nearly 26 years after the tragedy took place, residents of Vargas state still live with the emotional aftermath.
The documentary Cuando El Cerro Se Vino Abajo (“When the Hill Came Down”), by photographer Daril Jiménez, who directed it, honors the survivors. During filming, he captured moving stories, including that of a man who lost his wife and son, and Crespo, still a resident of Vargas, who reflected , “We had to start over from scratch, but we're still here.”
What happened in Vargas was a wake-up call. It reminded many, especially governments, that extreme weather and vulnerable landscapes make a deadly combination. Without proper planning, monitoring, an preparedness, natural hazards can turn catastrophic in the blink of an eye.
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