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Landslides, floods threaten houses

There are signs that houses built on slopes could be at risk during the rainy season.

LA PRENSA

at risk: Rainy weather could mean disaster for some homeowners.1056845

An environmentalist is warning that flooding and landslides could be a problem for some houses in the interior because of risky building practices.

Luis Sánchez, of Cerro Punta, said that as many as 2,000 people could be at risk in the communities of Cerro Punta and Volcán.

“They live on slopes where there is a high risk of landslides,” Sánchez said. “Some built their houses on river banks, where [flooding] is a growing danger.”

These communities have seen a large amount of recent construction, especially in high-end homes for foreigners. In a move that may be too late, officials from the Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil (Sinaproc) are surveying home sites in Cerro Punta and Volcán to determine if they are at risk.

Sánchez was asked his opinion as part of the survey, and his prognosis is not very positive. He sees many homes at risk and the possibility that many people could be injured. Jorge Pittí, a member of the Fundación para el Desarrollo Integral de Cerro Punta, is also concerned. In May, there were several landslides that threatened homes and left many people shaken. “I don't know how it wasn't much worse,” Pittí said.

Cerro Punta representative Ernesto Rodríguez said that the local government's hands are tied because there is no municipal land available for relocating homes in danger. Temporary shelter was offered to two indigenous families that lost their homes in May, but a permanent solution to the problem has not been found.

The area has been struck by natural disasters before. In 1970, a flood in Boquete killed eight people and caused a large amount of damage. It's remembered as one of the worst natural disasters to hit that area.

More recently, 30 homes in an upscale development were threatened by landslides and flooding in June due to heavy downpours in the neighborhood of Jaramillo Arriba.