Continuing rains in Costa Rica force more evacuations

Mike McDonald August 27, 2010

Heavy rains on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning forced 175 people into temporary shelters in the Central Valley, in the northwestern province of Guanacaste and on the Osa Peninsula in the country’s Southern Zone.

In Osa, the Agua Buena bridge near Rincón collapsed, leaving at least three communities – Rancho Quemado, Quebrada Tortuga and Agujitas – stranded. The rainfall also flooded several roads in the canton.

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) transferred 60 residents from Golfito, a port city across the Golfo Dulce from the Osa Peninsula, to a temporary shelter because of flash floods.

In Guanacaste, floodwaters forced 90 people out of their homes, and torrents damaged the Los Gemelos bridge in the town of Cañas. The CNE moved those affected to the La Pacífica de Corobicí school in Cañas.

Near Cartago, east of San José, 25 people were moved from their flooded houses in San Diego de Tres Ríos to a local gym.

The CNE has issued a green alert for the country for the remainder of the rainy season. The green alert is the lowest of the country’s three alert levels. According to the National Meteorological Institute, the unusually wet rainy season is due to the presence of the La Niña weather phenomenon.