According to Costa Rica's National System of Conservation Areas, mudslides and flooding damaged access roads and collapsed sewers in several parks, some of which were forced to close access to visitors. Those closings mostly occurred in the Central Volcanic Range, the La Amistad-Caribe area and Tortuguero National Park.
National Emergency Commission on Tuesday reported that 18 communities in the provinces of Limón, Heredia and Cartago are currently isolated by flooding.
The removal of more than 4,000 cubic meters of debris that over the weekend blocked Costa Rica's Route 32 between San José and Limón continued on Monday, with officials from the Public Works and Transport Ministry estimating that transit on the highway would remain closed at least until Tuesday.
The Costa Rican Red Cross issued a statement Saturday afternoon saying that there have been no reported deaths or injuries in the affected areas, but that the rain's intensity could remain the same until at least Monday afternoon.
A noticeable decrease in rainfall prompted National Emergency Commission officials on Thursday to give the green light for hundreds of families in six shelters to return to their homes in the northern and Caribbean regions of Costa Rica.
Costa Rica's National Emergency Commission issued a yellow alert – the second highest advisory level – on Sunday for the country's Northern Zone and Caribbean coast, following heavy rains that have flooded rivers and homes and caused landslides in these areas.
The National Meteorological Institute predicts heavy showers and thunderstorms will continue throughout the week in the Caribbean region and the Central Valley.
Rainfall along the Pacific coast has gradually returned to normal levels following last year's decrease in rainfall of up to 65 percent in Guanacaste and 30 percent in Puntarenas.
