Julia left Nicaragua this Sunday night after having hit its Caribbean coast as a category 1 hurricane and crossing the country with tropical storm force, with no record of deaths, according to the authorities, but the risk of disasters increased, due to the flooding of rivers and possible landslides.
At least five large rivers overflowed their banks and another seven flooded, including the Coco or Wangki, bordering Honduras, and the San Juan, north of the border with Costa Rica, the longest and mightiest in Nicaragua. respectively.
The Great Lake of Nicaragua or Cocibolca presented a storm surge that affected nearby towns, especially on its northern shores.
The overflows, sources of water and torrential rains caused by Julia caused floods that affected more than 8,000 homes in various areas of the country, reported the director of the National System for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Attention (Sinapred), Guillermo González, through government means.
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The winds of between 95 and 140 kilometers per hour, or higher gusts, left “a good number of houses with partial damage”, as well as schools, religious temples and bus facilities, González added, without further details.
Due to the fact that the bands of Julia could now carry water from the Pacific Ocean towards the mainland of Nicaragua, the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies (Ineter) predicted the persistence of rains that, in combination with saturated soils, increased the possibility of floods and ground slides.
RED ALERT
More than 13,000 people who were evacuated in the Caribbean zone before the impact of Julia could return to refuge centers if necessary, different Sinapred sources indicated.
“This event has very large dimensions that we have to learn to respect,” said González, who confirmed that Julia has left damages throughout Nicaragua such as homes without roofs and other partial damage, floods, fallen trees, detached cables, obstructed roads, bridges exceeded. by flows, among others.
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The Nicaraguan government decreed a national red alert, which means that all state authorities and institutions are ready to deal with the emergency.
Some private colleges and universities announced the suspension of classes starting tomorrow, Monday, as well as the National Council of Universities (CNU).
The populations of the Caribbean, which had been left without drinking water, electricity and telecommunications, recovered these services throughout the day, but others, especially in the center and south of Nicaragua, were physically cut off due to overflowing rivers and streams. , according to the inhabitants of the affected communities.
The ban on departures and the cancellation of national and international flights due to Julia remains, although it is expected that this provision will be reversed in the coming hours.