The National Emergency Commission (CNE) indicated that Costa Rica could experience indirect effects of Tropical Storm Nana as early as Wednesday. However, the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) emphasized Tuesday evening that Nana is not expected to make landfall in Costa Rica.
Tropical Storm Nana, the 14th named Atlantic storm of the season, is forecast to become a hurricane as it approaches the coast of Central America. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and the Yucatan Peninsula could be directly affected.
Nana is “moving steadily westward,” the NHC said. The agency has issued a Tropical Storm Warning and Hurricane Watch for the coast of Belize, warning of “strong winds, dangerous storm surge and very heavy rainfall causing flash flooding.”
Barring a significant and unlikely change in Nana’s path, both the NHC and IMN predict the storm will remain distant from Costa Rica.
“The latest analysis indicates that this phenomenon will move west, anticipating that it could become a hurricane when it reaches the Gulf of Honduras,” an IMN spokesperson said. “An image circulating on social media indicating the storm is headed toward Costa Rica is not correct.”
CNE said it was alerting Costa Ricans due to the possibility of flooding after prolonged heavy rains over recent days.
“At this moment, the atmospheric conditions are favorable so that the rains are not expected to be intense,” CNE said. “However, due to the saturation of the soils, the CNE requests caution in light of the probability of rains on the Pacific slope.”
CNE recommends that the public remain alert to rainfall, particularly for those who live in areas prone to flooding and landslides. Dial 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency.
