Guatemala – 25,000 Affected by Floods and Landslides

by in Americas, News

Heavy rain has caused flooding and landslides in several departments of Guatemala over the last few days.

A bridge over the Guacalate river in Pastores municipality, Sacatepéquez Department, was severely damaged. Photo: CONRED

CONRED, the country’s disaster management authority, reported flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rain from around 17 August in the departments of Alta Verapaz, Sololá, Guatemala, Santa Rosa, Sacatepéquez and Suchitepéquez.

Around 25,332 people have been affected in total. CONRED reported that 15 people injured and 16 evacuated and that houses and roads were damage. A bridge over the Guacalate river in Pastores municipality, Sacatepéquez Department, was severely damaged.

The weather service INSIVUMEH reported that the rainy conditions were a result of a low pressure system moving over the Pacific Ocean towards the Mexican coast.

Further heavy rain from around 19 August affected parts of Guatemala, Solola and Suchitepequez and Chimaltenango departments. Mazatenango in Suchitepéquez recorded 86.3mm of rain in 24 hours to 19 August.

CONRED reported that the Bolas river overflowed in Suchitepequez department damaging 9 homes and displacing 9 people in Santo Domingo municipality.

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