Authorities from the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (Conred) and Insivumeh gave this Tuesday, June 9, at a press conference, details of the Tropical Storm Cristina and its possible effects in Guatemala.
Edwin Rojas, general director of Insivumeh, indicated that The storm is located 255 kilometers from Jutiapa, in the Pacific Ocean.
He explained that the trajectory of the phenomenon remains heading towards El Salvador, it has not made landfall and it is expected that it could weaken.
He added that, due to the proximity and atmospheric circulation, the increase in rainfall is forecast to continue, mainly in the regions of the eastern valleys, the bocacosta, the Pacific, the central highlands and the west, where the highest accumulations could be recorded.
However, the direct forecast for the departments that could be affected corresponds mainly to Chiquimula, Santa Rosa and Jutiapa, due to their proximity to the places where the storm is expected to make landfall.
Claudinne Ogaldes, executive secretary of Conred, recalled the orange alert activated and, in that sense, indicated that they met with the departmental governors to raise the alert level in each of their territories.
He said that, although the Insivumeh has reported that there will be no direct impact from Tropical Storm Cristina in Guatemalan territory, a large amount of rain is expected, as well as river flooding, flooding, landslides and damage to vulnerable infrastructure, which is why the National Emergency Operations Center remains active.
He added that they have deployed teams to the departments that could be most affected to carry out damage and needs assessments, and determine how to help the population.
He indicated that, as a result of the storm, Rains are also expected in Quetzaltenango, Sololá and Chimaltenango. He announced that the effects of Cristina in Guatemala are expected on Thursday and Friday.
He expressed that they are concerned about undermining, flooding and river flooding due to recent rains, added to the saturation of the soil.
They asked mayors and governors to activate their emergency operations centers. He pointed out that many of the floods are the result of the accumulation of garbage.
Rojas added that storms, when they make landfall, degrade, but they do generate copious rains, which causes risks such as flooding.
Regarding the waves reported in the Pacific, he said that this behavior is due to the conditions generated by the aforementioned storm, added to the fact that next week a supermoon effect will be recorded.
He highlighted that early warning systems have been created for sudden river floods.
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