STORY: :: June 26, 2026:: Apartaderos, Venezuela:: Flooding after heavy rain devastates a townin Venezuela's western Merida state“It washed away my whole house. I couldn’t recover anything from my house. At that moment I could only think about my family that was sleeping inside the house. Thank God my guardian angel told me to come back home. That’s what I did, I saved my family that was sleeping inside my home. Thank God I saved them, they are with me.”The heavy rainfall increased the flow of a river in the state of Merida in Venezuela, triggering floods that affected more than 270 families, according to the state government.Many residents also lost their belongings to the floodwaters."It washed away my whole house. I couldn’t recover anything from my house," said Jorge Luis Rivas with tears welling up in his eyes. "Thank God my guardian angel told me to come back home. That’s what I did, I saved my family that was sleeping inside my home."The Venezuelan government has activated a special response plan, providing medical care, food, and supplies. No deaths have been reported.Other states in the Andean zone affected by rains caused by the passage of tropical waves include Tachira, Barinas and Trujillo.