Tropical depression Sara arrived in southern Mexico this Sunday after having hit Central American countries as a storm, causing one death and affecting more than 100,000 people, mainly in Honduras, Belize and Guatemala.
The latest report from the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) indicated that Sara has already entered Mexico through the state of Quintana Roo and, despite losing strength, “the risk of catastrophic flooding will continue.”
The depression “will continue to cause significant and life-threatening flooding and landslides as Sara moves inland.”
The latest report from the Honduran authorities indicated that the passage of Sara caused one death, 110,889 affected, 2,534 homes damaged and 1,707 communities cut off, since the increase in riverbeds destroyed 20 aqueducts, nine bridges and 233 streets.
Rescuers have been working since Sunday morning to reach the flooded places in the north of the country, where six departments remain on red alert.
The rise in river levels in the south is constantly monitored, mainly as they pass through Tegucigalpa, where the flow “begins to decrease,” authorities stated.
Emergency services have had to use boats and boats to help many people, including delivering meals or medicine with drones due to the impossibility of accessing certain communities.
After hitting Honduras hard, Sara crossed Belize heading northwest between early and early Sunday morning and weakened since it made landfall until it became a tropical depression.
The Belizean authorities did not report any deaths, although due to heavy rains, “serious flooding” was recorded in the course of the Macal River and some landslides on the eastern slopes of the Mayan Mountains, in the central area of the country.
Ifloods and landslides
The country’s main airport was still closed and, although the storm has already passed through the country, heavy rains are still being recorded.
In the north of Guatemala, Sara arrived weakened but the rains in the departments of Petén, Izabal and Alta Verapaz, in the north of the country, caused flooding and increased flow in some rivers, affecting at least 11,102 people.
Four bridges and eight roads were damaged. “Despite the decrease in intensity, cloudiness and intermittent rains are expected to continue over several regions of the country,” Guatemalan authorities indicated in their latest report.
Although they warned that flooding and landslides could occur in the next 24 hours.
Although Sara was declared a tropical storm on Thursday, November 14, its slow formation in the Caribbean for at least two weeks affected several Central American countries.
At least four people died and another four remain missing in Costa Rica. Almost 3,000 people were taken to shelters, and landslides and overflowing rivers affected hundreds of homes, roads and bridges.
Costa Rica declared a state of emergency and the red alert still persists on the Pacific coast.
In Panama the situation was similar, with at least 11 deaths in the western area, close to Costa Rica, where three provinces are on red alert.
Nicaragua reported the disappearance of a person swept away by a swollen river, more than 2,000 people evacuated and 18 channels overflowed.
El Salvador was the country that suffered the least from Sara, although certain areas recorded an increase in rivers that overflowed causing flooding in agricultural lands.
In 1998, Central America suffered the passage of Hurricane Mitch, which left some 9,000 dead and million-dollar losses to the economies of the countries in the region, mainly in Honduras.
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What specific measures did local authorities implement to address the challenges posed by Sara, and how effective were these strategies in mitigating the storm’s impact on communities?
1. How did Sara impact the affected countries in Central America, and what were some of the challenges faced by local authorities and rescue teams during the storm?
2. How has the slow formation of Sara in the Caribbean for two weeks prior to making landfall impacted its intensity and trajectory? Moreover, what preparations were made by the governments of the affected countries to mitigate potential damage and protect their citizens?
3. What are some of the long-term effects that tropical storms like Sara can have on the affected regions, such as infrastructural damage and economic losses? How can these be alleviated or prevented in the future?
4. Can you comment on the role of international aid organizations and government agencies in providing relief and support to areas impacted by such natural disasters? Has there been any cooperation or collaboration among these entities during this particular event?
5. With the increasing frequency of severe weather events around the globe, how can countries in Central America adapt and prepare for the onslaught of such natural disasters? Is there a need for more investment in early warning systems, disaster preparedness plans, or relocation of vulnerable populations to safer areas?
