The alert is being extended to four more departments of Honduras making a total of 11 departments in risk due to the heavy rains cause by the tropical depression number 16.

The departments under alert are now East and South of Francisco Morazan, west of La Paz, Comayagua, and East of El Paraiso are now under alert along with Gracias a Dios, Bay Islands, Colon, Olancho, Atlantida, Yoro and Cortes.

The capital of Honduras located in Francisco Morazan, has been experiencing scattered showers since Wednesday and did not cause any damages.

The other seven departments of Honduran are under green alert, which means the local emergency committees must remain alert for any instructions from COPECO.

According to a COPECO representative, the help organizations had the rivers Ulua, Chamelecon and Guaymon under surveillance to avoid any disasters to valle de Sula, Cortes and Yoro.

Damages where reported on the main roads because of the heavy rain since Tuesday between El Progreso, Yoro and Tela, Atlantida, Tocoa, Colon and San Francisco de la Paz and Olancho.

The vulnerability was increased in Honduras in October of 1998 when it was hit by hurricane Mitch that left 5,657 dead, 8,058 missing, 12,000 injureds, 1.5 million families’ victims and losses estimated at 5.000 million dollars.

Heavy rains will continue around the country according to the authorities. The first missing person was reported yesterday in the community of El Pino in El Porvenir, Atlantida, hundreds of families have been evacuated, villages isolated and streets flooded.

In the departments under yellow alert, light to moderate showers are expected.

In those areas, the rivers Cangrejal, Lean, Aguan, Sico, Wampu, Guaymon and its affluents have shown a significant increase in volume.
The phenomenon was moving over the coast of Gracias a Dios yesterday afternoon at nine kilometers per hour causing heavy rains with winds especially in the north coast of Honduras.

The rains could continue for another 48 hours. It hasn’t stopped raining all around the country and the next few hours could be critical since the rivers have increased in volume and the grounds are very saturated.

The missing victim is Edil Alfonso Fuentes (63), who was dragged by the strong current of Coloradito River. Rescue teams and neighbors continued the search up until 7:00 P.M. but did not find him.

Some areas in La Ceiba where also flooded such as, El Toronjal II, El Naranjal, Pizzaty, San Isidro, Miramar and Barrio la Isla.