In one parish, the priest broke a leg during the flooding and is away recuperating. Another priest took a leave to help his family relocate after their home was destroyed. And the priest in Carmen de Uria left in a daze, having helplessly watched half his flock disappear in a few minutes when a torrent of water, mud, boulders and tree trunks poured off the steep hillsides that loom around the town. For Colmenares, there's not much to do in Carmen de Uria. The town is under military control.
Government leaders suggest turning what remains into a memorial park.
Most of the survivors live in emergency shelters elsewhere. A few residents come back to dig vehicles out of the muck. When bodies are found, the priest prays over the remains. For the most part, Colmenares just walks, remembering the people he knew here. At the ruins of one house, where relatives have pasted a photo of the family that once lived there and is now disappeared, Colmenares leans against the wall and breathes heavily.