Deadly Onslaught: Colombia Reels From Rain, Mudslides

La Nina has been strong this year, as demonstrated by the cool ocean waters (purple) in parts of the globe. This has caused heavy rains in parts of South America such as Colombia. (Image credit: OSTM/Jason-2 satellite/ NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.)

The heaviest rains to hit parts of Colombia in four decades have caused widespread flooding and triggered deadly landslides, according to the latest news reports.

A landslide on Dec. 4 near the suburbs of Medellin crushed around 50 houses and possibly killed hundreds of people. While the cause of the landslide and the exact number of fatalities is unclear, the ((CONLINK|8620|La NiÃ

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Brett Israel was a staff writer for Live Science with a focus on environmental issues. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from The University of Georgia, a master’s degree in journalism from New York University, and has studied doctorate-level biochemistry at Emory University.