SIGN UP FOR OUR By Wendy Anders
Animals such as these dogs left behind during an evacuation in Bagaces often suffer and die during and after natural disasters. The country’s National Animal Service (Senasa) announced extended hours at their Heredia headquarters to tend to livestock owners with concerns related to Hurricane Otto.
Monday has been declared a national day of mourning in Costa Rica for the deaths of at least eight people due to the effects of Hurricane Otto‘s passage over the northern part of the country yesterday, reported the Judicial Investigative Police (OIJ) and the National Emergency Commission (CNE) this afternoon in an update on the emergency actions underway in various affected areas of the country.
The effects on thousands of people’s lives in both the northern Atlantic and Pacific, and southern Pacific coastal areas will be felt for some time to come as roads are slowly cleared, houses rebuilt, and assessments of agricultural and livestock damages are taken into account. Some also must face the loss of unexpectedly losing a loved one.
Continued rainfall is hindering rescue operations in some areas. Costa Rica’s Channel 7 Teletica news station at 4:00 p.m. reported on a high mudslide risk in the southern Corredores region. Corredores Mayor Carlos Vial showed reporters a mountainous area with several large mudslides and engorgement of a mountain lake that could affect villages downstream from the lake if rain continues. The local emergency committee requested an aerial surveillance to determine what if any preventive steps should be taken.
The eight dead officially reported as of today include three adult men, three adult women, one young boy, and one infant boy, all in the north-central region of Costa Rica, reported the OIJ:
Orlando Obregón Jiménez (45), Marisa Alvarado Méndez (45), Dennis Alvarado Méndez (37), Joseph Barbosa Alvarado (24) all in a home in La Fortuna de Bagaces, and Israel Zúñiga Picado (11), María Isabel Picado Castro (38), Vanessa Arguello Castro (30) in Bijagua de Upala, and Dilan Mauricio Chevés Guerra (8 months old) in Residencial Real, Upala, are those thus far declared deceased due to the effects of Hurricane Otto.
Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and loved ones of these individuals whose lives were ended abruptly in this natural disaster.
