Nicaragua and Honduras continue to be under alert due to Tropical Storm Sara, which made landfall yesterday Thursday on the border between both countries and continues to dump heavy rains and floods as it moves westward seeking the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The latest NHC report presented this morning indicates that the phenomenon was 64 kilometers east-southeast of Guanaja Island, in Honduras, and 329 kilometers from Belize City, in Belize.
“Potentially catastrophic flash flooding and landslides are expected in Honduras over the weekend,” according to US Weather.
Sara maintains maximum sustained winds of 80 kilometers per hour, and was moving in a west direction at 14 km/h. The tropical storm could cause potentially catastrophic flash flooding and mudslides in northern Nicaragua and central Honduras.
According to the NHC, the potential cyclone could gain strength as it leaves Central American territory and heads north of the isthmus.
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The National Institute of Territorial Studies (Ineter), for its part, stated that the impact of Sara will be reflected in the constant rains over the entire territory caused by the cyclonic circulation; that introduces humidity from the Pacific into the interior of the country.
Sara could stagnate
National Hurricane Center experts warn that Storm Sara could stall over northern Nicaragua and Honduras during Friday and Saturday, which will generate heavy rains that would affect El Salvador, Belize and Guatemala.
The floods that could leave up to 30 inches of rain in Honduras, about 10 inches for Nicaragua and to a lesser extent the rest of the Central American countries.
Alert in Nicaragua
In Nicaragua, the National System for the Prevention, Mitigation and Attention of Disasters (SINAPRED) convened a meeting on Thursday afternoon with representatives of Ineter, COMUPRED, Civil Defense, National Police and other institutions to coordinate protection measures with the focus located in the Northern Caribbean of Nicaragua.
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Likewise, the Nicaraguan Army, through the Caribbean Naval District, issued recommendations to fishing vessels, urging them to take security measures and remain in safe ports due to waves of up to 2.5 meters and winds of 40 km/h in the Caribbean Sea.
According to Ineter’s recommendations, the departments most affected by the constant rains will be Rivas, Carazo, Nueva Segovia, Jinotega and Matagalpa.
