Resumo

SUAREZ RUIZ, Carlos A  e  PACHECO GIL, Henry A. Vargas disaster of 1999: Geographic Interpretation and popular perceptions. Revista de Investigación [online]. 2008, vol.32, n.63, pp.087-102. ISSN 1010-2914.

The present witness and the later spectators of the disaster of Vargas of December of 1999, outline a series of questions and answers with divine and magic components, to explain the causes and the facts of such a disaster: The objective of this work is to respond to these queries, from the perspective of the Geography to contribute basic information that allows to the non specialized reader to understand the operation of the happened event and to avoid this way false beliefs in the population. The used methodology consisted on the revision of the press of national circulation, as source of information of the facts and the opinion of specialists in diverse interviews and declarations and the consultation of bibliographical and cartographic material as support to the answers, and fi eld work in the affected area. The questions are referred to the meteorological, hydrological, geological, and prevention aspects. The proposed answers are simple explanations with divulgation purposes, and the creation of conscience in relation with the natural risks to which we are exposed and the importance of the prevention and the education as mitigation ways.

Palavras-chave : Vargas; disaster; Geographic Interpretation.