No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsLatin AmericaTropical Storm Sara Weakens and Causes Devastation in Central America

Tropical Storm Sara Weakens and Causes Devastation in Central America

The tropical storm Sara weakened as it passed through Belize and will reach Guatemala and southern Mexico as a tropical depression after causing flooding in Honduras, resulting in one death and more than 70,000 people affected.The United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) highlighted in its latest report that “Sara weakened to a tropical depression” as it crosses Belize at 13 km/h with sustained winds of 55 km/h.

Despite the weakening, the NHC urged the governments of Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico to remain alert because the rains could still cause “catastrophic and potentially deadly flooding. “So far, no casualties have been reported in Belize, but authorities warned in their latest report that rivers have started to rise, and “severe rains” have caused flooding in certain areas of the country.

Floods and landslides have forced road closures, two bridges have been shut down due to rising river levels, and the Philip Goldson International Airport near Belize City is closed until Monday. In Guatemala, Sara is expected to arrive in the northern part of the country, directly affecting the provinces of Petén, Izabal, and Alta Verapaz. Rains associated with the tropical storm have already affected 11,102 people, damaged several dozen homes, four bridges, and eight roads.

In Honduras, the assessment of damages caused by floods and rain is beginning, although a red alert remains in place for six northern departments, and the alert has been extended to two more in the south. One person has died, 71,337 people have been affected, and 251 communities have been isolated in the northern departments of the country due to damage to roads and bridges that provide access.

Nearly a thousand homes have been damaged by floods and rising river levels. Six departments remain under a red alert. Elsewhere in Central America, Panama reported 11 deaths, Costa Rica four, and Nicaragua one missing person during the past two weeks before Sara was classified as a tropical storm.

Trending Now

An Expat’s Take: 5 Burning Questions About Life in Costa Rica Right Now

Have you been keeping up with the various events taking place in Costa Rica? There is always something interesting going down, and here are...

Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 Closing Event Bans Minors, Sparks Outrage

Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 closing event, set for June 29 at San José’s Plaza de la Democracia, was thrown into controversy when the government...

Costa Rica’s Piangua Mollusk Threatened by Pineapple Farm Runoff

Costa Rica’s Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland, a 33,000-hectare haven of mangroves and rivers, is under siege from an unlikely source: pineapple farms. A study by...

Panama Regains Control of Bocas del Toro After Violent Protests

Panama’s government has regained control of Bocas del Toro province after months of violent anti-government protests sparked by pension reforms, officials announced. The unrest,...

Former Costa Rican Minister Arrested for Drug Trafficking, Faces U.S. Extradition

Costa Rica’s judicial police arrested Celso Gamboa, a former security minister and Supreme Court judge, on Monday, following a U.S. request for his extradition...

Costa Rica and U.S. Strengthen Border Scans and Biometric Cooperation

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem met Wednesday with Honduran President Xiomara Castro to discuss security and migration, following her offer in Costa...
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