Caribbean, Central America brace for Tropical Storm Sandy
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E-mail Xinhua, October 24, 2012
Haiti's civil Protection Department warned of possible flooding, landslides, collapsed buildings and storms in the affected areas.
Last August, Tropical Storm Isaac battered Haiti, leading to at least 24 deaths, leaving more than 8,000 families homeless, and causing 10 billion dollars in agricultural losses.
In Costa Rica, the National Disaster Prevention Commission (CNE) Tuesday called for a preventive green alert for the Pacific and central regions, where Sandy was already causing some rain.
Nicaragua's Municipal Committee for Disasters (Comupred) convened Tuesday in the Northern Caribbean to set up a permanent storm watch.
Marvin Sanchez, the Interior Ministry's delegate in the region, said municipal authorities were monitoring the storm's advance, in case of heavy rains.
The Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies (Ineter) launched a navigation alert as early as Monday night for the departments of the Northern Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) and Southern Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS), due to storm surges raising water levels and strong winds.
Sanchez said the town of Bilwi, in RAAN, was particularly vulnerable to hurricanes, flooding and other extreme weather phenomena, but on Tuesday the weather over Bilwi and the Caribbean Sea remained calm, though afternoon rains were a possibility, added Sanchez.
The country's Oceanography and Sea Science Research Center ( CIMAR) warned of possible high waves of up to three meters.
The 2012 hurricane season has so far seen 18 tropical storms and nine hurricanes. Hurricane season officially begins June 1 and ends November 30.
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