South Florida families who survived deadly earthquake in Colombia return home: "It was really devestating"
South Florida families who survived a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Colombia are returning home with harrowing accounts of the disaster, while others in the region continue to wait for news of relatives missing in the wake of the tremors.
The earthquake struck Monday morning, with shockwaves felt in Cali and Bogotá at 7:34 a.m., according to the Colombian government. In Cali, at least 26 buildings collapsed, and rescue crews remain on the ground digging through rubble in search of survivors.
Among those returning to Miami International Airport on Tuesday was Ann Jimenez, who had traveled to Cali with her daughter, Cloe, to visit family for the first time in two decades.
"It was really scary," Jimenez said upon her arrival. "My daughter never experienced something like this."
Cloe recounted the panic as emergency alarms sounded, prompting widespread evacuations. "Probably when the alarm started going off, when we ran outside," she said when asked what scared her most.
For other travelers, the full scope of the destruction became clear only after they sought safety. Maria Alejandra Arizabaleta and her husband, Juan Seba, also arrived in Miami on the same flight from Cali.
"When you're living it, it starts shaking, and you say, 'OK, it's going to pass. It's nothing else,'" Arizabaleta recalled. Once they evacuated, she said, "you see all the smoke. Oh my God, this is going to be really, really bad."
Seba described the atmosphere in the city as "devastating."
Families wait for answers
For many, the catastrophe remains an ongoing personal crisis. Diana Espinosa, a South Florida resident, said her cousin, his wife and their 23-year-old triplets were inside a building in Cali that collapsed.
According to Espinosa, rescuers found one of the daughters alive, while another was found dead. The third daughter, along with her parents, remains missing. Espinosa is working to raise awareness in South Florida about the urgent need for aid as rescue operations continue.
South Florida mobilizes aid
As families await news, local organizations and governments are coordinating relief efforts.
The Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) has launched an emergency response for Colombia, following a recent relief effort for Venezuela. Local officials are also stepping in to facilitate support. Doral Councilwoman Maureen Porras emphasized that monetary donations are the most effective way to help, as essential supplies can be purchased directly within Colombia.
"Right now we are encouraging financial donations because there are a lot of items that can be bought in Colombia," Porras said.
Relief efforts are expanding into Broward County as well. The City of Miramar announced Tuesday night that it has designated specific fire stations where residents can drop off donations for victims.
While survivors like Jimenez have returned to the safety of South Florida, for families like Espinosa's, the wait for answers continues as rescue crews press on in the search for those still missing.