(QCOSTARICA) The residents of Santa Cruz, Carrillo, La Cruz and other Guanacaste cantons were barely recovering from the floods left by the indirect effect of tropical storm Marco, last week, when a new storm hit them, raining for 24 hours straight.
This Friday morning the rains subsided, continuing intermittingly in some areas, caused the rivers and streams to overflow in a matter of hours and run freely through the streets, farms, and even homes.
In addition to damaging several bridges, crops, and felling trees, 622 people were forced out of their homes and into shelters or homes of friends and family, as waters reached heights of almost one meter in several areas.
Guana Noticias reports water wreaked havoc neighborhoods like Potreto, damaging appliances, furniture, in addition to losing food.
The Chief of Operations of the National Emergency Commission (CNE), Sigifredo Pérez, affirmed that there were 25 flood events between Wednesday night and Thursday morning and then 12 in the rest of the day. A total of 17 shelters were activated in Santa Cruz, Carrillo, and La Cruz.
That CNE has already started field evaluations, in order to help the victims, many of whom will remain in shelters while the waters recede.
According to the national weather service, the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN), on Wednesday the accumulated in the areas of Ostional, Garza, Nosara, Tempate, Cuajiniquil, and other points reached 300 liters per square meter, this on top of the 350 that fell on Tuesday.
Throughout August, the historical average for that area is 231 liters. However, that figure quintupled in two weeks because, in addition to the 650 liters in two days, 481 liters had fallen in the area between Thursday and Saturday last week.
The IMN is forecasting that normal conditions of the rainy season will gradually return in the coming days.
