The capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, has been declared on maximum alert due to the damage caused by the rains brought by Tropical Storm Sara. This storm has already left Honduran territory, affecting around 111,000 people nationwide, according to official reports.
The rise of rivers, especially the Choluteca River, which increased its flow by four meters, has led to the closure of several important bridges connecting Tegucigalpa with the twin city of Comayagüela. Hundreds of people were evacuated in recent days due to the intense rains affecting the Central American country since Thursday.
Families in neighborhoods close to rivers and streams have had to leave their modest homes due to the flooding. The Choluteca River, which is fed by other tributaries in the central region and flows into the Gulf of Fonseca, has caused flooding in southern Honduras. The departments of Choluteca and Valle have been declared in red alert due to the rise of rivers like the Choluteca, Goascorán, and Nacaome.
Although the storm is no longer in the country, the red, yellow, and green alerts remain in the 18 Honduran departments. Rain is expected to decrease on Monday afternoon in some regions of the Caribbean, and a reduction in the level of swollen rivers that originate in the west and flow into the Caribbean is anticipated.
So far, tens of thousands of people are reported affected, homes damaged, and communities isolated throughout the country. Tropical Storm Sara has caused damage to infrastructure such as roads, bridges, water services, sewage, electricity, as well as in agricultural, livestock, industrial, and tourist areas.
In general, 15 of the 18 departments of Honduras have been affected by this storm, which downgraded to a tropical depression upon making landfall in Belize after forming off the coast of Central America.