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In Nicaragua, the authorities estimate that some 800,000 people could be affected by the passage of the phenomenon. In Guatemala, a red alert was decreed because, according to the trajectory, it is expected that ‘Julia’ will impact on Sunday.
‘Julia’ became a category 1 hurricane on Saturday night while its impact is felt on the Colombian islands of San Andrés and Providencia, where authorities closed local airports until Sunday, October 9 at noon.
Previously, the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, had assured that he hoped that “the damage would be less than the last time”, in reference to the hurricane ‘Iota’, which hit the archipelago in 2020. At the time, he asked the hotel chains to open their doors to give refuge to those who require it.
The phenomenon carries maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour and is headed for the Nicaraguan coast, where, according to the National System for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Attention, some 800,000 people could be “mostly exposed” to the impact of the phenomenon by which began the evacuations.
Hurricane #Julia Advisory 10A: Center of Julia Passing San Andres and Heading For the Coast of Nicaragua. Life-Threatening Flash Floods and Mudslides Possible From Heavy Rains Over Central America and Southern Mexico Through Early Next Week. https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 8, 2022
The authorities declared a yellow alert throughout the national territory, which activated the emergency plans that include transportation, shelter and protection for the population at risk. The Government reported that it expected to have 345 temporary shelters available, with capacity for almost 69,000 people.
El Salvador and Guatemala prepare for the possible impact of the phenomenon
Meanwhile, in El Salvador, the Government decreed the suspension of classes for Monday, October 10, and the orange alert before the possible effects of the phenomenon. Civil Protection pointed out that “Julia is expected to continue her trajectory within the Caribbean towards the Caribbean Planes of Nicaragua, arriving in Salvadoran territory on Sunday night.”
The entity asked the general population to exercise caution and indicated that fishing of any kind, in addition to activities in rivers, beaches and lakes, are suspended. In the same way, he urged the competent authorities to prepare “the operation for pre-hospital care, search and rescue.” Also, to support “evacuations from risk areas.”
For their part, in Guatemala, those responsible activated the institutional red alert in the face of the possible consequences of the passage of ‘Julia’ through the territory at dawn on Sunday.
Wilson García, director of the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology, stressed that “On Sunday we will have heavy rains in the north and on Monday the rainfall will be concentrated throughout the country”
with EFE
