Published Friday, April 16, 2021

Nonstop rainfall for more than 24 hours in the country have left many reporting emergencies, according to Alexánder Solís, President of the National Emergency Commission.

More than 150 houses affected for flooding in several zones of the country. And 5 shelters were opened for more than 100 people affected by the floods.

The Commission  set Orange Alert status for the cantons of Matina and Talamanca, in Limón Province,  due to massive floods. This alert is established when a high-risk situation can cause an emergency to the people in a specific area.

Last night,  3 shelters were enabled in Matina for attending more than  100 people affected. The towns of Goshen, Sara and  Suretka Beach could be evacuated today.

The Yellow Alert on almost the whole country due to the intensification of rains. This status allows emergency committees of each community to prepare prevention protocols.

Citizens must take precautions in their homes, places of study or work. Also, people must be attentive to the communication alerts that the commission provides. Rescuers must be prepared for the search or rescue of people and respond to emergency calls.

In Guácimo Canton, in Limón Province, is one of the areas with more than 30 emergencies reported caused by floods and landslides on Thursday.

The overflowing rivers in Guácimo and Parismina have flooded several houses. Families were forced to flee to the homes of their relatives.

Landslide debris and stones on Route 32, between the Provinces of San José and Limón, forced road closures Wednesday night for more than 10 hours. The road reopened on Thursday morning.  However, the Ministry of Transport ordered the route closed again from 6 p.m. Thursday until 5 a.m. Friday.

In the other provinces such as Cartago, Heredia, San José, and the South Pacific Coast, more than 70 emergencies have been attended to in the last 24 hours.

Other routes affected by landslides and flooding are in Turrialba, Oreamuno and Alvarado, in Cartago Province.

In the southern zone of the country, more emergencies due to floods and landslides were attended in Coto Brus, Pérez Zeledón and Golfito.

The Green Alert was established the Northern-West zone of Guanacaste Province, which are the cantons of Hojancha, Nandayure and Nicoya.

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.


The rain intensity increased due to the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone, ICZ, which is located in the southern zone of Central America and getting closer to Costa Rica.

The ICZ, 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, which circles the globe near the Equator.

According to the weather report, of the Meteorological Institute, in the last few hours, there have been increased showers and thunderstorms mainly in the Caribbean Coast, the Great Metropolitan Area (the zone made up of cities in the outskirts of San José such as Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago) and South Pacific Coast.

In the Caribbean and northern zone, as of Thursday an accumulation of approximately 100 millimeters of rain per square meter has been registered. Causing rivers' flow increased in the cantons of Limón, Matina, Siquirres y Pococí.

A similar rain record was reported in the northern zone of Alajuela Province.

According to a specialist, heavy downpours are forecast to continue in the whole country for the rest of the weekend. 

Due to the high risk of continuous rains and strong gusts of wind, specialists recommend that in order to avoid accidents, consider the following advice:

• Keep the roof of your house clean.

• Clear a path in the backyard allowing rainwater to move without problems towards 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 that can 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.

• 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 trees 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 in Costa Rica 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.

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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