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Friday, June 19, 2020 through the country By the A.M. Costa Rica staff The new Tropical Wave, number 7 of the green station, entered the country on Thursday and continues to move west to exit towards the Pacific Ocean, announced the Meteorological Institute. According to weather experts, the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone continues to straddle over the country. The Inter-tropical Convergence Zone, known by sailors as the doldrums or the calms due to the dull windless weather, is the area where the northeast and southeast trade winds converge. The zone appears as a band of clouds, usually, thunderstorms, that circles the globe near the Equator. The new tropical wave has been causing rains mainly in the North Caribbean Coast ( Limón Province) and Northern Zone ( Guanacaste and Alajuela Provinces) of the country. Specialists forecast heavy rains and thunderstorms in the afternoon and at night, with estimated amounts ranging from 40 to 60 millimeters. With less intensity in the rains of the Central Valley (San José Province), the partial to cloudy weather is expected to bring between 5 to 20 millimeters of rainfall. Special attention in the regions of the Pacific Coast ( Puntarenas Province) and the Northern Zone due to the high levels of humidity in the soils given the persistence of rainfall in recent days in these areas, climate experts said. During the last few weeks, there have been three continuous tropical waves that have caused floods, landslides and strong winds. According to the report of the National Emergency Commission, more than 60 emergencies caused by the rains were registered on Tuesday, mainly flooding due to the overflow of rivers in the province of Cartago. In San José, emergencies were registered in damage caused by heavy rains in the districts of Aserri, Desamparados, Alajuelita, Grecia, Naranjo and San Ramón and in Cañas, in Guanacaste Province. On Monday, a rescue team from the Red Cross and firefighters reported emergency calls in the Santo Domingo District in Heredia Province, due to a whirlwind that caused damage to several houses, electricity and cable network. Despite the incidents, it was not necessary to set up a shelter. On Monday, due to the arrival of the tropical waves the green alert was established throughout the country.  A green 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. The Commission calls on the public to stay informed with alerts and by paying attention to the effects of the rains. The emergency specialists released a series of advice to avoid accidents, due to the expected increase of thunderstorms: • Keep the roof of your house clean. • Clearing a path in the backyard allows rainwater to move without problems toward the drainage, which helps in avoiding damages and leakages 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 as they can 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. • Stay informed by 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 evacuation emergency 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 asked the public to call 911 to report any possible flooding, fallen trees or landslides. A.M. Costa Rica urges readers to share this alert with their contacts. ------------------------ What emergencies have you heard of due to the thunderstorms in your community? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
