The National Emergency Commission (CNE) declared an orange alert in almost all the national territories due to the passage of Tropical Wave Number 13. According to the authorities, this wave will likely become a tropical cyclone and affect the country as of Friday.
“We have activated the national emergency operations center of the 82 municipal emergency committees and the declaration of orange alert. In addition, all institutions can position machinery or resources to respond to the emergency,” explained President of the National Emergencies Commission (CNE), Alejandro Picado.
He also asked the population to take extreme precautionary measures, as weather conditions will be highly adverse.
“If they must make a long trip, they should take the necessary precautions and get information through official means. If they are planning to travel to other areas or provinces, they should also take the necessary precautions,” added Picado.
Authorities also reminded that there are several routes with serious problems, such as Route 32, which is closed due to landslides.
“The hills that are next to the roads are very saturated. We have Route 32 closed, and Route 27 has always been characterized by landslides, so we have to be careful,” recalled the President of the National Emergencies Commission.
“If the tropical wave evolves into something bigger, I call on people to avoid leaving their homes,” concluded the CNE Officer.
Given the forecasted situation, the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) decided to suspend the school year on Friday.
President Rodrigo Chaves said he is considering traveling to the areas most affected by the emergency.
“The Ministers and I personally are ready to travel to the affected areas this Saturday or Sunday, depending on the weather and what happens. We have a scheduled emergency committee meeting to monitor the situation and decide if the President and the Ministers should go to see what is happening firsthand,” Chaves noted.
In addition, the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica issued a weather alert. “The U.S. National Hurricane Center and Costa Rica’s National Commission on Risk Prevention and Emergency Response (CNE) are tracking the development of a tropical storm forming in the southern Caribbean Sea that could affect Costa Rica,” reads the communiqué.
“This event is projected to bring heavy rain to parts of Central America, including Costa Rica, starting on Friday, July 1, and continuing through the weekend. The weather system could cause floods or landslides in affected areas, particularly in light of recent heavy rain throughout the country,” they continued.
The Embassy asked to monitor this weather system’s progress as additional alerts or warnings could be issued.
New information is expected in the coming hours, especially regarding possible alerts and measures to be taken for at-risk areas.
