CNE issues Orange and Yellow Alerts due to heavy rainfall

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) on Wednesday established or extended Yellow and Orange Alerts due to weather that is impacting much of Costa Rica.

“The CNE extends the alert states for current rains, due to the rainfall in the last hours as a product of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, which is very active and positioned over Costa Rica,” the organization said Wednesday afternoon.

The Central Valley, the Central Pacific and parts of the South Pacific are all under Yellow Alerts. The cantons of Buenos Aires and Golfito in the South Pacific are under an Orange Alert.

A Green Alert is meant to be informative, while a Yellow Alert is issued when the risk to a community, region or the country has risen, or when it’s confirmed a phenomenon will have a significant affectation on a population.

An Orange Alert involves local emergency response, which can include small-scale evacuations.

CNE recommends that people take appropriate precautions, particularly in areas vulnerable to flooding due to sewer saturation, near rivers and in sectors with a high propensity for landslides. Abide by any official instructions and call 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency.

Drive carefully, as the weather may cause deterioration in road conditions.

The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) expects continued “cloudiness and rains of variable intensity” in the Pacific, Central Valley, Northern Zone and mountainous sectors of the Caribbean through at least Wednesday night.