Waves of up to 10 feet crashed along Costa Rica’s Pacific shores Wednesday, extending over a section of coastal highway in Caldera Port and flooding homes for the second time in less than a month. Visitors at Caldera, Jacó and other beaches in the province of Puntarenas reported spotting the waves, which kept annual beach outings to celebrate Mother’s Day to a minimum.
Traffic on the coastal road was interrupted briefly by the high tide, which dragged rocks, sand and water with it. Traffic Police officers quickly moved to the area, and no major incidents were reported.
A warning of the arrival of strong waves caused a decrease in visitors to coastal businesses, said tourist operator Ana Lorena Vargas. Costa Ricans celebrated Mother’s Day Wednesday, and each year, many Ticos head to the Pacific beaches for one-day trips to mark the holiday.
Radio Reloj reported that officials from the Mixed Institute for Social Aid and the National Emergency Commission are at sites where flooding ocurred to help a few families who were affected.
The University of Costa Rica’s Ocean Sciences and Limnology Research Center reported Monday that strong waves would hit Pacific beaches from Tuesday through Thursday, caused by a storm off the coast of New Zealand.
