Monthly Archives: September 2008

Hundreds of families from center and north of Honduras where evacuated early Tuesday due to the floods caused by the heavy rains affecting the country.

In Tegucigalpa and Comayaguela, a controlled discharge from the Concepcion dam that supplies potable water to a sector of the capital, caused a considerable increase on the Grande and Choluteca River with floods in several low areas around the city.

The fire department started to alert the population Tegucigalpa and Comayaguela at around 2:00 am because of the swell of the river, several houses in these areas where flooded.

Most people that where evacuated at dawn, returned to their homes after the swell of the rivers decreased, some of the families have been warned by the mayor of Tegucigalpa to move from these low areas because their situation is of high risk.

The regional emergency committees started working with the fire department and COPECO to help the victims.

COPECO has declared yellow alert for 48 more hours in the towns of Pimienta, Potrerillos, Villanueva, San Manuel, Choloma, La Lima, San Pedro Sula and Puerto Cortés, in the department of Cortes; El Progreso, Santa Rita and El Negrito, in Yoro due to the heavy rains that fell during this past weekend. COPECO announced Ocotepeque, Copán, Santa Bárbara, Comayagua, Valle, Choluteca, El Paraíso, Olancho and Francisco Morazán remain under green alert warning.

According to COPECO authorities, the heavy rains increased the level of the Ulua and Chamelecon River in Valle de Sula, and according to the weather forecast from the National Meteorological Service, the precipitations will continue on the national territory but specially on the north area.

The weather that is being experienced are product of the passage of the tropical wave number 38, that will maintain atmospheric instability specially in the mountainous areas east,west and south of Honduras with heavy rains, thunderstorms and abundant cloudiness.

A Hail Storm in Tegucigalpa yesterday afternoon which also generated strong winds, lightning and a lot of rain left one person injured, houses and streets flooded, destroyed vehicles, trees and advertising signs falling, and most of the city with no electricity.

This phenomenon paralyzed the city during 45 minutes while the rain fell; the strong rains caused alarm among the citizens, reason why the rescue teams advised the population to remain calm and not to leave their houses or businesses to avoid exposing their lives.

The Firemen made their way to different areas of Tegucigalpa to attend the emergencies that where cause by the storm specially in areas such as Colonia Kennedy, San Jose de la Vega, Residencial Los Llanos, Tepeyac, barrio Los Encuentros, Altos de Miramontes, Miraflores, residencial Plaza, Las Palmas, San Francisco, and Parque Colon monument near the Toncontin Airport. The firemen also rescued three people that where trapt in an elevator because of the power outage in a building in Comayaguela where one person injured his column and had to be hospitalized after being rescued from the elevator.

According to neighbors from different sectors of the capital, the rain started at 1:05 in the afternoon and in a few minutes, the capital was covered by a dark cloud that brought rain, hail, strong winds and thunderstorms during 30 minutes.

During these 30 minutes, the population was in anguish because the strong winds and the rain. People that where outside of their homes at the moment found refuge in businesses and other buildings nearby.

After the storm was over, the fire department started to clear the streets where trees and advertisement signs had fallen to the ground. They also helped out people whose houses had been flooded because of the storm.

According to reports from the fire department, several trees fell to the ground, 20 homes where flooded, 4 cars where damaged because of advertisement signs fell on them, and dozens of vehicles where damaged because of the floods on the streets.