Monthly Archives: October 2008

The temperatures around the north coast of Honduras will descend six to eight degrees below normal, and will leave 175 millimeters of water due to the rains caused by the cold front that entered the country since Monday and will continue until Sunday.

COPECO authorities also announced winds of 45 kilometers per hour especially in areas near the mountains and strong gusts of wind in the rest of Honduras.

COPECO declared red alert for the department of Atlantida yesterday due to the heavy rains causing rivers to overflow and cause floods in different areas. At least 10 families where evacuated from around the Cangrejal river after it overflowed and threatened the houses nearby. The families where taken to the shelter at the Simon Azcona gymnasium in La Ceiba.

Due to the force of the Cangrejal River’s current, the emergency and rescue authorities decided to close the Saopin Bridge to avoid any disasters.

The red alert stopped all activities around the city of La Ceiba, classes where suspended until further notice, private businesses and banks also closed; pharmacies and groceries stores remained opened to the public.

In Sonaguera, Colon, elements from the Olanchito fire department rescued 136 Standard Fruit Company employees that where trapped on the inside of two buses in the middle of the road where the Ponciano and El Lechugoso River caused floods yesterday.

The employees where rescued seven hours after the incident, in which both buses where stuck in the middle of an enormous lake.

The rains product of a cold front has caused floods in several communities in Atlantida and Colon. The authorities of COPECO warned that a new mass of cold air will join the cold front surrounding the north coast of Honduras in the next few hours and will generate 48 hours more of rain.

According to COPECO and information from the National Meteorological Service (SMN), the cold front is moving very slowly along the north coast of Honduras and this new phenomenon will bring rains of 150 and 175 millimeters.

The most affected areas since the arrival of this phenomenon are the low areas of Valle de Sula with the increase of the Aguan, Ulua and Cangrejal rivers which have increased quickly and violently in the past hours.

The temperature is supposed to drop 4 degrees below normal, especially in high areas, and gusts of wind of up to 45 kilometers per hour.

COPECO has declared the Red Alert for Corquin, Cucuyagua in Copan; Belen Gualcho in Ocotepeque; Cortes, Colon and Atlantida; yellow alert for Santa Barbara and the rest of Copan. The rest of the country remains under no alert for the moment.

COPECO ordered the immediate evacuation of those citizens in Valle de Sula living near the shores of the Ulua and Chamelecon River because of the increase of the rivers that put the lives of these people at risk.

The communities of Guaruma I,II and III, Chotepe have to take the necessary precautions in this case. The Ulua River is growing even though the rains have decreased. In the next few hours, the Ulua River could grow even more and become very dangerous in its pass through Valle de Sula.

Floods have been reported in 16 of the 18 departments of Honduras because of the rivers. La Paz and the Bay Islands have not reported any incidents and are relatively calm.

The Ulua River flooded urban areas of El Progreso, areas at the river level and villages, San Manuel, San Manuel, Potrerillos, Pimienta, Villanueva, El Ramal and El tigre.

The destruction could increase since the Negro river threatened to flood Trujillo; the Aguan river threatened Tocoa and the Humuya river threatened Santa Rita.

On the other hand, COPECO has announced that if El Cajon dam reaches it’s maximum level, they will be obligated to discharge the water which could affect Cortes.

The National Meteorological Service informed that a low pressure system originated by the tropical depression number 16 that has been affecting Honduras since last week will keep generating rain conditions all over the country.

According to experts, the constant rains are product of phenomenon that is stationed over the territory product of a cold front descending from the United States.

750 Honduran families will receive help

The Red Cross destined a large sum to help the 750 victim families affected by the rains produced in the last few days in Honduras. The help will consist of food, and other necessity products such as, personal hygiene products, kitchen utensils and blankets.