(San Salvador) Julia was downgraded to a tropical depression on Monday as it crossed Guatemala, after causing the death of five people in El Salvador and Honduras as well as extensive damage in other Central American countries.
Posted at 12:50 p.m.
“The center of Julia moved inland” in Guatemala and “expected to dissipate by tonight as it continues to move over southern Guatemala,” the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. .
Juliawhich was a Category 1 hurricane when it struck the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua at dawn on Sunday, continues to pose a “risk” of “life-threatening” flooding and landslides in Central America and the southern Mexico, according to the NHC.
“At least two people have died” after the wall of a house collapsed in Guatajiagua, about 150 km east of San Salvador, El Salvador police said on Twitter on Monday.
A third Salvadoran died after a tree fell on his house in the town of Caluco, in the Sonsonate department (southwest), firefighters said.
Two people have drowned in Honduras after their boat sank, and a third is missing, said Wilmer Wood, mayor of Brus Laguna in eastern Honduras.
In Guatemala, the Coordination Committee for Disaster Reduction (Conred) reported the disappearance of two men swept away by the flooding of the Kajabon River in the north of the country.
From Guatemala to Panama, authorities have reported downpours accompanied by strong gusts of wind that have laid down many trees, damaged roads, destroyed houses and bridges.
Julia is the second hurricane of the season to affect Central America after bonny in July, along the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
At the end of 2020, hurricanes Eta and Iota had caused the death of at least 200 people and as many missing, and damage estimated at several million dollars.