US warns Americans to avoid vacation hot spot amid quake fallout and violent crime

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Americans who may be weighing atrip to a South American countryare confronting fresh safety concerns after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the western part of Colombia Aug.10, killing at least 289 people and leaving more than 26,000 homes destroyed, as The Associated Press (AP) reported.

The quake was centered in Chocó.Communities there are continuing to recover from widespread damage, according to the AP.

The deadly earthquake adds another concern for travelers as Colombia remains under a Level 3 “Reconsider Travel” advisory from the U.S.State Department because of crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping and natural disasters.Several regions carry the more severe Level 4 designation, per the State Department.

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U.S.officials have also cautioned that foreign visitors can be targeted by criminals, including schemes involving drugs used to incapacitate victims before robberies or assaults.

Theepicenter of the earthquakewas near San José del Palmar in Chocó, along Colombia’s Pacific coast and roughly 250 miles west of the capital city of Bogotá, according to the AP.

Colombian women looking at earthquake destruction

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Aug.10, killing at least 289 people and destroying thousands of dwellings.(Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP via Getty Images)

Nearly 1.2 million visitors from the United Statestraveled to Colombiain 2024, according to the country’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism.

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American travelers frequently visit destinations including Cartagena on theCaribbean coast, as well as Medellín and Bogotá.

Though the earthquake struck outside themajor tourist hubs, travelers may still need to consider conditions in affected areas when planning transportation and itineraries.

Police officer walking next to rubble in Colombia

The powerful earthquake hit near San José del Palmar in Chocó, along Colombia’s Pacific coast, according to The Associated Press.(Jonh Bonilla/AFP via Getty Images)

While earthquakes and other natural disasters are rare while on vacation, they do happen, travel expert and journalist“We see travelers caught in these situations all the time,” said Castellanos, who has visited Colombia multiple times.

He recommended travelers first determine whether their itineraries include affected areas.

“Check in on their airline to make sure that the flight is still happening, that the routes are not impacted for their particular itineraries,” Castellanos said, adding thattravel insuranceis a necessity.

“I always advise travelers to purchase travel insurance once they start spending the big dollars on big-ticket items like airfare and like hotels,” he added.

More than 26,000 dwellings were destroyed after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, according to officials.(Jonh Bonilla/AFP via Getty Images)

“That way they’re fully covered, but definitely look into it a lot more and just check on the airlines first.”

Castellanos also encouraged Americans traveling abroad to enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP.