Hurricane Julia Update: 28 Dead as Heavy Rainfall Lashes Guatemala and El Salvador

Former Hurricane Julia may not be a hurricane anymore and has already dissipated, but it has still managed to do some damage in Central America. It had recently pounded Colombia and Nicaragua but has now caused some problems in Guatemala and El Salvador with torrential rains.

The Associated Press had initially reported that 19 people have died as a direct or indirect result of Julia passing by Central America. That number has since gone up to 28 as of writing.

These casualties are from various Central American countries, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras.

Landslides, Flooding Kill Over Two Dozens in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua

Julia was downgraded from a Category 1 Hurricane to a tropical storm, but it still caused a lot of damage, particularly in Guatemala. According to NPR, five people died after a hillside collapsed on their house in Alta Verapaz province. All five were buried alive inside.

Meanwhile, in the northern Guatemalan province of Huehuetenango, near the Mexico-Guatemala border, nine people have reportedly died. The casualties included one soldier who was performing rescue work.

Over in Honduras, the Associated Press reported that a 22-year-old woman was swept away by currents and died. They also reported that a boat was swamped and capsized in northern Honduras, killing three people on board.

Another death was reported in Nicaragua when a tree fell on a man.

El Salvador, which had already suffered weeks of torrential rain resulting in massive mudslides, was facing even more problems due to former Hurricane Julia. It was reported that during anti-gang raids against MS-13 members in the town of Comasagua, five Salvadoran army soldiers died after a wall collapsed at a house. They were reportedly seeking refuge from the storm inside that house. Another soldier was reportedly injured.

Heavy rainfall also caused more damage in the town of Guatajiagua, El Salvador. The wall of another home collapsed, causing the deaths of two people. Meanwhile, another El Salvadoran man was also swept away by a current while another one also died when a tree fell on top of him.

Rivers have overflowed in El Salvador, forcing the country to declare a state of emergency. The government has also opened 80 storm shelters around the country.

Former Hurricane Julia is Now Over Eastern Pacific

According to AccuWeather, Tropical Storm Julia is now over the eastern Pacific. However, weather experts are warning that it could still spawn new systems along the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts this week.

The former hurricane lost intensity and strength, thanks to Nicaragua's rugged terrain. By the time it hit the Pacific coasts of El Salvador and Guatemala, it was only a tropical depression. However, this did not stop the storm from causing much damage.

The storm previously hit Trinidad and Tobago and Colombia, before lashing Nicaragua. It then hit parts of Honduras before hitting El Salvador and Guatemala.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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