More than 15 000 affected as floods and landslides hit Guatemala

Featured image: Floods in Guatemala - January 30, 2018. Credit: CONRED
Heavy rain is affecting Guatemala since January 26, causing floods, landslides and damage. At least 15 200 people are affected and 258 evacuated. No fatalities or injuries have been reported.
According to CONRED, as of January 31, 258 people were evacuated in Alta Verapaz and Izabal departments and 124 buildings were damaged. In addition, national authorities reported that approximately 15 200 people were affected in the departments of Baja Verapaz, Alta Verapaz, Petén, Quiché and Izabal.
Landslides were reported in San Jerónimo and Salamá in Baja Verapaz, one in the municipality of Chajul, Quiché, Cobán in Alta Verapaz and two in Morales in Izabal department.
Heavy rain increased river levels, including the San Francisco and San Marcos in Izabal, while flooding blocked roads in Quiché and left some communities in the north of the province isolated.
Over the next 24 hours, more heavy rain is forecast for the already affected regions.
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.

Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules.