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Colombia hurricane guide

In Colombia, disaster risk management is led by the Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres (UNGRD) and the Sistema Nacional de Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres. IDEAM, the national weather institute, publishes forecasts and alerts. The Caribbean tropical cyclone season runs from June 1 to November 30, and the islands of San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina are the most exposed. The Policía Nacional lists 123 as its emergency line. Your department page lists the departmental risk management office.

Checked on October 9, 2026

Every phone number and web address on this page was checked against official sources on that date. Details can change, especially during a storm. Always follow instructions from the Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres (UNGRD). In an emergency, call 123.

Departments

Choose your department. These pages cover San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina and the departments on the Caribbean coast. Each page has the department risk management information and local contacts.

Pages for more departments and for municipalities are coming.

What to know in Colombia

  • UNGRD says tropical cyclones can bring heavy rain, strong wind and waves, and storm surge (marea de tormenta), and can set off floods, landslides, flash floods, and tornadoes.
  • UNGRD says the tropical cyclone season in the Caribbean starts on June 1 and runs to November 30. Its season page links circulars, communication material, the national plan and protocol, and alert notices issued during the season, in Spanish.

Emergency and information numbers

Service Number Notes
Emergency 123 Listed on the Policía Nacional site as its emergency line (Atención y Emergencias). Free.
UNGRD main line, Bogotá +57-601-552-9696 Office switchboard, listed by UNGRD with hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Also a free line inside Colombia, 01-8000-113200. Not for emergencies: call 123.
IDEAM forecasts and alerts +57-601-307-5600 IDEAM switchboard, extensions 1334, 1335, and 1336 for Pronóstico y Alertas. From fixed phones inside Colombia, IDEAM also lists 01 8000 110012. Office hours Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
DIMAR (maritime authority) +57-601-795-4400 DIMAR's Bogotá citizen line. Its free line inside Colombia is 01-8000-416870. Not for emergencies at sea: DIMAR's maritime traffic, search and rescue page has its own contacts.
Cruz Roja Colombiana +57-601-794-6566 Bogotá office line as the Red Cross lists it. Its national line inside Colombia is 01-8005-198534.

Official alerts and information

  • UNGRD tropical cyclone season page: National circulars, plan, and alert notices for the Caribbean season, in Spanish. Website.
  • IDEAM Servicio de Pronósticos y Alertas: Daily forecast and alert report, radar and satellite images, and technical bulletins, in Spanish. Website.

National resources

  • Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres (UNGRD): The national disaster risk management agency. Its site carries emergency reports, preparedness material, and the Sistema Nacional de Gestión del Riesgo. In Spanish. Website.
  • DIMAR boletines meteomarinos: The Dirección General Marítima publishes marine weather bulletins and notices to mariners. Its Caribbean research center is the CIOH. In Spanish. Website.
  • Cruz Roja Colombiana: The Colombian Red Cross. In Spanish. Website.

For your department's contacts, choose your department above.

Evacuation centers

Open only when announced

Evacuation centers open only when officials announce them, and not every center opens for every storm. Check the official list of open centers before you leave home. Bring your own bedding, food, water, and medicines.

No national shelter (albergue) list is published here, and none is shown as open. Follow your departmental risk management office and official announcements to learn whether you must leave and where to go. Your department page has its guidance.

Radio, TV and weather

Keep a battery or hand crank radio. When power and cell service fail, radio is often the only way to hear official updates.

Official forecasts

  • IDEAM: Colombia's national weather institute. Pronóstico y Alertas is extensions 1334 to 1336. In Spanish. Phone: +57-601-307-5600. Website.
  • National Hurricane Center: US hurricane forecasts for storms in the Caribbean. A second source: follow IDEAM, UNGRD, and your departmental risk management office for official alerts. Website.

Sources

Checked on October 9, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.