A powerful tropical wave swept across Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast overnight into Wednesday, triggering flash flooding, swollen rivers, residential evacuations and road closures across the province of Limón. The event, driven by the third tropical wave of the 2026 season, has put emergency authorities on high alert and left dozens of communities managing significant water damage as of Wednesday morning.
The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) confirmed that Tropical Wave No. 3 crossed into Costa Rican territory in the early hours of Wednesday, entering from Panama and combining with accelerated trade winds over the Caribbean Sea to produce heavy rain through the night. Rainfall totals recorded during the previous six-hour window reached up to 65 millimeters in hard-hit areas including Talamanca, Siquirres, Turrialba, Braulio Carrillo National Park and Horquetas de Sarapiquí, well above typical levels for triggering flooding in low-lying zones.
Limón Airport and the Cariari de Pococí area also registered rainfall between 10 and 60 millimeters during the storm’s approach. The effects on the ground were swift and widespread. In the canton of Matina, the Chirripó, Barbilla and Madre de Dios rivers all rose rapidly, inundating the community of B-Line along the Route 32 corridor. In Talamanca, the Cocles area reported submerged streets, while Sixaola experienced sustained heavy rainfall throughout the night.
Limón’s city center was not spared, with water accumulating on public roads due to overwhelmed drainage and sewage infrastructure, a recurring vulnerability in the port city during intense rainfall events.
The Costa Rican Red Cross reported managing more than 40 separate incidents by morning, including evacuations of trapped residents and responses to homes and businesses with water damage. In Valle La Estrella, multiple families were left isolated by rising water levels. Schools were also affected. Lessons were suspended at three educational centers: Tres Equis and Las Américas in Turrialba, and Guayacán in Siquirres, after flooding made access unsafe.
Road infrastructure also took a serious hit. On Route 805 between Batán and Matina, a fallen tree brought down power lines and restricted passage to motorcycles only. Route 10, which connects Turrialba to Siquirres, was completely closed near the community of Santa Marta after another tree collapsed onto the roadway.
Alejandro Picado, president of the National Emergency Commission (CNE), said municipal emergency committees across the affected region remained active through the night, conducting inspections and damage assessments. Authorities paid particular attention to rivers still running dangerously high in Talamanca.
The IMN issued a specific warning for the Sarapiquí basin and areas near Braulio Carrillo, citing soil saturation from several consecutive days of rainfall before the wave’s arrival. That condition significantly lowers the threshold for flooding and landslides.
Looking ahead, the IMN forecast continued unstable conditions through Wednesday, with variable rains expected across the Caribbean and the northern zone, along with isolated afternoon thunderstorms on the Central and South Pacific coasts. Overnight into Thursday, rainfall intensity is expected to gradually decrease in the Caribbean, though isolated showers may persist in recurring high-risk areas.
The agency also warned that wind gusts near thunderstorm cells could reach up to 80 kilometers per hour in isolated cases, adding another layer of risk for communities still in recovery mode.
This is the third tropical wave to affect Costa Rica this season, arriving just days after Tropical Wave No. 2 passed over the country last weekend. Although the IMN has projected a relatively quieter Atlantic hurricane season for 2026 overall, the rapid succession of early-season waves shows how even a calmer year can bring serious impacts to the Caribbean slope, where geography and drainage limitations make communities in Limón, Matina and Talamanca consistently among the country’s most vulnerable to heavy rain.
