No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaNicaragua declares preventive alert as Tropical Storm Eta threatens

Nicaragua declares preventive alert as Tropical Storm Eta threatens

The president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, declared on Saturday a preventive alert in the Caribbean and northern Pacific regions of the country in response to Tropical Storm Eta.

“A yellow alert status is declared for the North Caribbean Autonomous Region” and the departments of Jinotega and Nueva Segovia, in the North Pacific, the president announced in a statement.

The announcement came when Eta was still a tropical depression located 1,200 km east of Bilwi, the main port of the Nicaraguan northern Caribbean. It has since become the 28th named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season.

Eta is expected to strengthen into a hurricane before making landfall early Tuesday.

The northern areas of Nicaragua could be affected with “strong winds, storm surges, heavy rains with flooding in the low coastal areas of the coastline and riverbanks,” the government warned.

The yellow alert empowers city halls to take the necessary measures to attend to the population in case of emergency, mobilize resources to prepare shelter centers and ensure means of transportation and communication.

As a first step, the naval force and fishing companies are helping to evacuate the indigenous Miskito families living in the Miskito Cays, off the coast of the northern Caribbean, Sinapred director Guillermo González told the official Channel 4.

The indigenous municipality of Waspán, on the Coco river, bordering Honduras, is preparing a similar plan to assist communities in case of emergency.

The government also asked “to ensure that early warning and activation mechanisms work for communities from critical points to storm surge, high winds, floods and landslides.”

Tropical Storm Eta and Costa Rica

While Eta is not forecast to make landfall in Costa Rica, the National Hurricane Center of the United States estimates up to a 20% chance that the national territory will receive tropical storm force sustained winds (>34 KTS) over the next five days.

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) has placed much of Costa Rica under a Yellow Alert, instructing local governments to prepare shelters in the event of an evacuation.

On Sunday morning, the CNE instructed the population to “exercise extreme precautions in mountainous parts of the entire country.”

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s 2025 Flamingo Fishing Rodeo Highlights Sport and Conservation

With great fishing and a renewed focus on family fun, the Presidential Flamingo Fishing Rodeo presented by Marina Flamingo is set to take center stage in the world...

Former Nicaraguan President Violeta Chamorro Dies in San José at 95

Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, Nicaragua’s first female president and a key figure in ending her country’s civil war, passed away peacefully this morning in...

Canada’s Porter Airlines to Launch Direct Costa Rica Flights

Porter Airlines is gearing up to connect Canada with Costa Rica, following approval from the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) to operate direct international flights....

Panama Police Clash with Protesters Over Pension Reform Near Costa Rica Border

Police and protesters clashed in Panama on Saturday during an operation to clear a highway near the Costa Rican border, where teachers and Indigenous...

Costa Rica Faces Slower Growth and Rising Exchange Rate Pressures

Costa Rica is bracing for a challenging economic landscape through 2025 and into 2026, marked by slower growth, exchange rate pressures, and mounting uncertainties,...

Costa Rica Faces Growing Arms Trafficking Crisis

On Thursday, the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) made headlines by seizing 56 weapons in La Guácima de Alajuela, marking the largest arms seizure in...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica