Dead, evacuations, flooding, falling trees, landslides and road destruction as a result of Eta

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For more than 72 hours of continuous rains as a result of the indirect influence of the Tropical Depression Eta.
- Ministry of Transports and Red Cross photos -

Published Friday, November 6, 2020

Dead, evacuations, flooding, falling
trees, landslides and road destruction
as a result of Eta

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

For more than 72 hours of continuous rains as a result of the indirect influence of the Tropical Depression Eta, mainly affecting the Pacific Coast.

According to the Red Cross rescuers' report, an emergency call was received on Thursday morning about a house that was destroyed by a huge landslide in the community of Agua Buena, Coto Brus Canton, southern zone of Puntarenas Province. At 11:38 a.m. officials confirmed the identification of the first two victims, a U.S. citizen from California, surnamed LaDuke, 69, and his wife, a Costa Rican woman surnamed Sanchez, 50.

The National Emergency Commission raises the status of Red Alert for three more cantons in Puntarenas Province, such as Parrita, Quepos and Golfito.

On Wednesday, the authorities had already established the same maximum alert level for the cantons of Nicoya, Nandayure and Hojancha in Guanacaste Province, in addition to Corredores and Coto Brus in Puntarenas Province. This is because of the saturation of the soils, the level of damage and the increase of the rains.

Red Alert is established when a threat increases in levels of size, extension or severity, requiring mobilization of all the necessary resources to attend to emergencies. Under this alert, the rescue organization proceeds to evacuate and secure the affected population.

Orange Alert status for the northern zone of Pacific Coast (Guanacaste Province) and Central Pacific Coast (central zone of Puntarenas Province). This alert is established when a high-risk situation can cause an emergency to the people in a specific area.

A Yellow Alert was established such as the northern zone of Alajuela Province, southern Pacific Coast and the Central Valley. The alert status serves as an announcement for the rescue forces to prepare for an increased danger of a natural phenomenon that will affect the population in a specific region.

The Green Alert was established on the Caribbean Coast (Limón Province). This alert is given when it is anticipated that a meteorological phenomenon endangers a specific area in the country. The authorities activate the community's emergency commissions to take action due to the danger related to the alert.

According to the commission emergencies report, more than 1,500 people have been relocated to 44 shelters in 23 cantons to guarantee their safety and security.

As of Thursday night, more than 60 communities have been registered with some level of damage, due to flooding or landslides.

The largest number of emergencies have occurred in 23 communities in Cóbano, Coto Brus, Nicoya, Quepos, Parrita and Garabito, which are isolated as heavy rains caused flooding, falling trees and the interruption of roads due to landslides.

On Thursday, authorities reported 304 landslides in the country.

According to a report by the Ministry of Transport, multiple mud and rock landslides and falling trees have kept several roads closed, such as routes 2,3, 158, 160, 163, 237, 605, 606, 613, 901, 915 and 934.

Other routes were also affected, but officials keep the passage of vehicles regulated, these are routes 14, 34, 130, 141, 150, 242, 243, 245, 301, 328, 415, 617, and 903.

According to the forecast of the Meteorological Institute the side effects of Eta, which is slowly moving through the Atlantic Coast of northern Central America, will continue to cause heavy rains in Costa Rica until Friday.

Due to the high risk of continuous rains, specialists stress the following to avoid accidents, damage to structures and emergencies during the green season:

• Keep the roof of your house clean.

• Clear a path in the backyard allowing rainwater to move without problems toward the drainage, which helps to avoid damages and leaks in the house.

• Pick up the garbage so that it does not fall on the pipes or drains on the sidewalks.

• Avoid that solvents, oils, acids or corrosive liquids fall into the sewer pipes and deteriorate them.

• Organize the cleaning of public areas such as river banks in your community to avoid flooding.

• Report the lack of concrete caps or grids in the pipes to the Aqueduct Institute by calling 2547-6555.

Authorities call on the public to take the following precautionary measures:

• Stay informed about the alerts issued by the authorities.

• People living in mountain areas should increase precautionary measures against a possible landslide or material falling from the high areas of the hills.

• Have an emergency evacuation plan in the community, work and home.

• Drivers must increase precautions for heavy rain and fog.

• Take precautionary measures in case of electrical storms.

• Be alert in vulnerable areas to flooding due to sewer saturation or increase of river flow.

• In case of a thunderstorm, take refuge in a safe place.

• In case of strong wind gusts, be alert to possible falling tree branches or electrical cables.

• In the event of a landslide, do not walk on the debris, stay away from affected areas, and do not return home until authorities verify that it is a safe place.

Authorities ask for the people to call 911 to report any possible flooding, fallen trees or landslides in the country.

A.M. Costa Rica urges readers to share this alert with their contacts.

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What emergencies have you heard of due to the tropical storm in your community? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com