Yellow alert for towns in Central Valley, Central Pacific and Southern Zone

Costa Rica’s National Emergency Commission (CNE) issued a yellow alert Wednesday for several towns in the Central Valley, the Southern Zone and the Central Pacific. The commission has already moved 680 people to temporary shelters across the country because of flooding and on Wednesday emergency personell attempted to reach seven stranded communities in the Caribbean region.

The yellow alert, the second of the country’s three alert levels, is in effect for the entire Caribbean region and the country’s Northern Zone; all of San José and the western suburb of Escazú; León Cortés, Tarrazú, Golfito and Corredores in the Southern Zone; Parrita in the Central Pacific region; and Acosta, a valley town on the other side of the mountains south of San José.

The commission issued a green alert for the northern Pacific region.

The alerts are the result of rainfall that has affected the country throughout the past 24 hours. Meteorologists said the rains stem from a low-pressure tropical depression in the Caribbean. Experts expect the precipitation to last through Thursday and said that winds could reach up to 70 kilometers per hour.

River levels have risen and caused flooding in the canton of Sarapiquí in north-central Costa Rica, where 300 people have fled their homes. Homes, roads and bridges have also flooded in the Caribbean-slope town of Guápiles; in Río Claro de Golfito in the Southern Zone; and in  Guatuso, an indigenous territory in north-central Costa Rica. 

According to the CNE, 27 national routes were affected by this week’s rain.

Due to landslides and floods, the following routes are closed:

Sarchi – Bajos del Toro

San Miguel Higuito- El Llano- Río Alumbre- Jericó- Río Conejo-

Aserrí- Acosta  y Acosta – Cruce Tabarcia

Poás – Volcán Poás

Puriscal, San Pedro y San Pablo Turrubares, San Juan de Mata – Orotina 

San José – Limón, Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo highway has been narrowed to one lane because of a landslide.

Follow the latest road updates at http://www.transito.go.cr/estadorutas/index.html