Hurricane “Julia” leaves 28 people dead across Central America
Hurricane “Julia” made landfall over Nicaragua1 on October 9, 2022, as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale and left at least 28 people dead across Central America before dissipating.
- Julia was still at tropical storm when it emerged into the Pacific Ocean late October 9 and moved near the coast of El Salvador on October 10 before dissipating over Guatemala – still dropping very heavy rain over the region.
- At least 28 people have lost their lives and several remain missing.
Authorities in Central America are reporting at least 28 fatalities as a direct or indirect result of the storm.2
In Guatemala, at least 5 people lost their lives when a hillside collapsed on their house in Alta Verapaz, the Associated Press reported. The country is reporting a total of 8 fatalities, 7 injured and hundreds affected.
At least 10 people died in El Salvador where a state of emergency was declared after numerous rivers burst their banks.
Five soldiers of the Salvadoran army died when a wall collapsed at a house where they sought refuge in the town of Comasagua, El Salvador. Hundreds of police and soldiers have been conducting anti-gang raids in the town.
2 people died in eastern El Salvador after a wall of their house collapsed under heavy rain, one drowned when he was swept away by floodwaters and another when a tree fell on him.
At least 5 people died in Honduras, 2 in Panama and 1 in Nicaragua.
The entire Nicaragua was placed on Red Alert on October 9, after heavy rains caused multiple rivers to overflow.3
In the country’s coastal region, about 1 million residents lost power and internet.
More than 13 000 families were evacuated ahead of the landfall, the director of Nicaragua’s disaster system said.
More than 800 homes in the country were flooded and many roofs had been damaged.
References:
1 Hurricane “Julia” makes landfall in Nicaragua – The Watchers – October 9, 2022
2 28 dead as Julia drenches Central America with rainfall – Associated Press – October 11, 2022
3 Tropical Storm Julia emerges over Pacific after crossing Nicaragua – Reuters – October 10, 2022
Featured image: Tropical Cyclone “Julia” at 21:10 UTC on October 10, 2022. Credit: NOAA/GOES-East, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers
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