Central America – Hurricane Otto Leaves 9 Dead, Thousands Evacuated in Costa Rica

by in Americas, News

Over the last week Hurricane Otto storm has affected parts of Panama, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, causing at least 13 deaths and forcing thousands from their homes.

Otto is the southernmost hurricane to hit Central America and one of the few to crossover from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

On Nov. 22 at 2:24 p.m. EST (18:24 UTC) the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured this image of Otto as it was strengthening into a hurricane in the Caribbean Sea. Credit: NASA/NOAA/MODIS Rapid Response Team
On Nov. 22 at 2:24 p.m. EST (18:24 UTC) the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite captured this image of Otto as it was strengthening into a hurricane in the Caribbean Sea.
Credit: NASA/NOAA/MODIS Rapid Response Team

Otto made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on the Caribbean coasts of northern Costa Rica and southern Nicaragua in the afternoon of 24 November 2016, causing significant damage. Nine people have died as a result of the storm in Costa Rica and at least 4 in Panama.

Hurricane Otto formed as a Tropical Depression on Monday 21 November 2016 east of San Andrés Islands in the Caribbean Sea.

After causing serious damage in Panama, Otto reached the coasts of Nicaragua and Costa Rica with sustained winds up to 175 km/h, making landfall near the city of San Juan de Nicaragua. Otto left at least 4 people dead in Panama, with some reports claiming the death toll to be as high as 8.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Otto is the southernmost hurricane to hit Central America. Otto was the first tropical cyclone to cross through Costa Rica since records began in 1851.

The storm dropped an impressive amount of rain in the northern provinces of Costa Rica. According to the National Weather Institute of Costa Rica (Istituto Meteorológico Nacional, IMN) rain up to 120 mm in 3 hours was recorded on the 24 November 2016 in several stations in Guanacaste and Alajuela.

Emergency teams carry out flood rescues in San Cristóbal, Upala, Costa Rica. Photo: Fuerza Publica de Costa Rica
Emergency teams carry out flood rescues in San Cristóbal, Upala, Costa Rica. Photo: Fuerza Publica de Costa Rica

Torrential rain and intense wind gusts resulted in floods, mudslides and storm damage, affecting people, houses and communication routes in Los Chiles, Bijagua, Canalete, Upala (Alajuela Province) and Guayabo de Bagaces (Guanacaste Province). According to Costa Rica National Civil Defence authorities (CNE), 9 people died in the communities of Bagace and Upala, near the borders with Nicaragua. A three day mourning period was declared by the president.

CNE said that 255 communities were affected, with over 5,500 people housed in 50 shelters across the country.  As of 28 November, there were still 43 communities isolated as a result of flood, landslide or storm damage.

In Nicaragua no casualties have been reported. Nevertheless, several damaged houses, falling trees and electricity failures were reported in the communities along the the San Juan River, at border with Costa Rica.

On Friday evening Otto moved to the Pacific Ocean, weakening and eventually dissipating in the afternoon of Saturday 26 November 2016.

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