As the rains across the country dimish and the groundwater recedes, the impact of Tropical Storm Nate are now more evident: collapsed roads and bridges, unstable slopes, houses razed to the ground and thousands of people having to take refuge in shelters.
The Organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ) reports the number of deaths from the storm is now at ten, the same number of fatalities from Otto last November.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Commision – Comisión Nacional de Emergencias (CNE) – reduced the number of persons missing to 8 and about 7,000 people in 94 shelters, and another 800 were evacuated from high-risk areas.
The CNE says the search for the missing is concentrated in Pérez Zeledón, Tucurrique de Cartago, Drake Bay of Osa, Santa Maria de Dota (2 missing), Margarita de Sixaola, Calle Mina de Poás de Aserrí and Guararí de Heredia.
64-year-old Elieczer Godinez Rojas, was found dead on Friday afternoon on the road that leads to the town of Playon in Parrita, Puntarenas, becoming Nate’s 10th victim, confirmed the OIJ.
The other fatalities have been identified as:
- Ruddy Urbina, 22, and Sergio Ramirez, 30. Both of Nicaraguan origin. They died when a landslide buried the house where they spent the night in Llano Grande de Cartago.
- A 3 year0odl lost her life in the Canet district of San Marcos de Tarrazú, due to a landslide that affected her home.
- María Claudina Aguirre Pérez, 56, died when a tree fell on her house in Esperanza de Santa Cruz, Guanacaste.
- Mauricio Jesús Madrigal Jiménez, 37, who crashed his vehicle into a mound in Guayabo de Mora, San José.
- Roy Matamoros Madrigal, 36, died in Sarchí de Valverde Vega, where the fall of a tree caused the car he was driving to flip over.
- Jose Vicente Chacón Aguilar, 19, who died due to a mudslide in Alto Naranjo, in San Isidro, in Atenas.
- A 14 year-old, identified only by his last names Figueroa Obando, also died due to a landslide in Mollejones de Cabagra, in Buenos Aires de Puntarenas.
- Daniel Mejía Quesada, 58, lost his life by falling into a river in Hojancha, Guanacaste.
The stories of tragedy, sacrifice, and joy to be reunited with family members are all across the country.
The Ministerio de Obras Publicas y Transports (MOPT)- ministry of public works and transport report the list of the road with the highest priority intervention to have them reopened as soon as possible.
- Ruta 34: Quepos-Parrita-Ciudad Cortés
- Ruta 209 : Guayabo-Acosta
- Ruta 237: Paso Real-San Vito-Ciudad Neily
- Ruta 14: Río Claro-Golfito
- Ruta 606: Interamericana Norte-Monteverde
- Ruta 2: Interamericana Sur: San José-Pérez Zeledón
- Ruta 226: San Cristobal-San Pablo de León Cortés
- Ruta 222: El Empalme-Vuelta Jorco
- Ruta 605: Guacimal-Santa Elena
The MOPT did not say when these roads will be opened.
Other routes like the Ruta 27, San Jose – Caldera, is under “paso regulado”. Huge rocks falling on the road have occurred at various points on the road.
One of the major problems now is the intense heat and lack of potable water. The state water utility says it is working around the clock to restore water service to the some 447,000 people.
By air, in small planes taking off from the Pavas airport, the Ministerio Publico (MSP) is getting food rations and clean water to some areas affected by Nate. On Friday, the Servicio de Vigilancia Aérea del Ministerio de Seguridad reported 12 fights with some 13.5 tons of food was delivered.
President Luis Guillermo Solis has called on the largest construction companies in the country to join the efforts of municipalities and local organizations CNE, MOPT and CONAVI in the tasks of cleaning roads and repairing bridges.
“Behind the tractors is food, water and medicines,” said the president. Enabling access is paramount for bringing supplies to shelters and continuing rescue tasks at locations with blocked access.
