Route 32, the main highway linking the Central Valley with the Caribbean province of Limón, remains closed in several sections after landslides triggered by the heavy rains of Tropical Wave No. 19. The same system flooded communities, forced evacuations and left damage across the Caribbean region and the Northern Zone.
The closure has affected the Cerro Zurquí sector since Thursday night, with additional blockages at kilometers 107 and 109 (miles 66 and 68), near Siquirres, where crews and heavy machinery are working to clear debris. The Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) has not given an estimated time for reopening the road.
The first landslide at kilometer 107 has already been cleared, but crews then shifted to another point where a fresh slide is blocking the highway in both directions. Heavy-truck drivers have been stranded since Thursday afternoon, and some described watching the mountainside give way onto the road. Two tractor-trailer cabs were struck by falling material, though authorities reported no injuries.
According to the National Emergency Commission (CNE), Tropical Wave No. 19 caused the greatest damage in Limón, Matina, Batán, 28 Millas and Siquirres, with additional flooding reported in Sarapiquí and San Carlos. The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) said in its latest report that the wave has already moved off, but that atmospheric conditions remain unstable, with rain continuing across the Caribbean and the Northern Zone and strong wind gusts expected in the Central Valley and mountainous areas. The CNE is maintaining a green alert for the entire country and has warned that Tropical Wave No. 20 is expected to approach over the weekend.
The commission confirmed that two shelters are operating in Sarapiquí — one in Finca 11, housing five people, and another in La Tigra, housing 20 — for a total of 25 people. The emergency also claimed one life: authorities reported that a man was swept away by a river current in Tilarán, in Guanacaste, on Thursday afternoon and was later found dead on the riverbank. Separately, the Red Cross evacuated four people, including a minor, in Sarapiquí, and rescued a woman and her two daughters — ages 14 and three months — after a stream overflowed in Puerto Escondido de Pital.
The weather struck the Pacific coast as well. A landslide was reported on National Route 34 in the Central Pacific, near Hotel Villa Caletas, in a stretch where retention mesh had previously been installed to reduce the risk of slope failures. In the nearby Esterillos area, residents and tourists reported a waterspout offshore.
Authorities are urging motorists to avoid Route 32 while cleanup continues and to rely on official channels for road updates. Drivers heading between San José and the Caribbean can use Route 10 through Turrialba, while light vehicles may take the Vara Blanca route as an alternative, though both add significant travel time. Officials also renewed their general appeal for the public to stay away from rivers, streams and flood-prone areas as saturated ground keeps the risk of new slides and sudden river surges elevated.
