At least 16 people have now died in Nicaragua and two in Colombia as a result of the tornado, Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo said Wednesday. Among those killed in the storm were women and minors. About 99.5% of properties along Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast are without electricity, the country’s national system and disaster prevention (Cinaprad) said on Tuesday.
Although wind speeds are dying out, Central America is still at risk for deadly flash floods, river flooding and mudslides. But already some parts of the region are facing overloaded rivers to flip the streets and roofs under power poles.
40,000 people affected
Just before Iota struck, about 6.6 million people in Central America were affected by ETA, followed by days of hurricanes, heavy rains, floods and landslides over Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala that destroyed entire communities.
Dozens of people went missing after a landslide last week in the remote Guatemalan village of San Cristobal, leaving 50 feet of mud in some places.
And now more than 400,000 people in Nicaragua have been affected by the country’s strongest hurricane, Murillo said. More than 50,737 people have been living in government shelters in the Central American nation since the hurricane, Murillo said Wednesday.
The hurricane caused heavy rains, with parts of Honduras and Nicaragua, Guatemala and Belize expected to receive at least 10 inches and 30 inches by Thursday, while areas from El Salvador to Panama could expect a maximum of 12 inches. .
The city of Bilvi, also known as Puerto Cabas, has had almost no communication due to blackouts and reduced electrical cables.
A strip of land between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean in the southwest of the country In some cities in Nicaragua’s Rivas region, officials are monitoring rivers and sheltering vulnerable families, the NHC said.
The Colombian island of Providencia mourns the victims of the storm
Colombian President Evan Duke said Tuesday that at least two people have died and one is missing on Providencia. One hundred and twelve people were evacuated from the island on Tuesday, with six seriously injured.
“We are delighted that thanks to our preparations and the steps we have taken, the Providenceia community has not been affected by the large number of deaths,” Duke said. “Nevertheless, we mourn the loss of two people.”
The Duke said the island’s infrastructure was in shambles. The priority now is to clear the wreckage island and set up emergency campsites and field hospitals as soon as possible.
The mayor of Providencia called for a total curfew on Sunday evening and set up 15 municipal shelters to gain access to the population.
The Duke said on Monday that the islands of San Andres and Providencia, located northwest of mainland Colombia, had been affected by the Category 5 hurricane for the first time in recorded history.
CNN’s Stefano Pozzeban, Holly Silverman, Jean Norman and Robert Schelford contributed to the report.
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