Julia’s trajectory and behavior will be similar to Iota’s; in 188 municipalities there is a “high” or “very high” probability of being affected
1,855 shelters are being set up throughout the country in case of any emergency that may be unleashed by the passage of the tropical storm Julia which is expected to touch national soil this Sunday, October 9.
Civil protection authorities are on red alerta, the concern lies in the large amount of water that the meteor could leave behind, and therefore soil saturation that remains high, despite the fact that in the first days of October the rain gave way a little.
Wilson Garcia, director of the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology (Insivumeh), explained that according to the analysis they carried out of phenomena that have impacted the country in 30 years, it was determined that Julia’s trajectory and behavior will be very similar to Iota, which hit Guatemala in November 2020, leaving along with its predecessor, Eta , a balance of death and destruction.
He warned that, although a cold front from the north is pushing Julia further south, the rains will be intense throughout the country, mainly in the Northern Transversal Strip, Izabal and the Boca Costa, in this last place there is also concern about the formation of lahars, which will descend, mainly from the volcanoes Fire and Santiago.
García indicated that, although the phenomenon will lose strength when it makes landfall, it is expected to cross the country until it reaches the Pacific Ocean where it could strengthen again, although already routed towards the northwest of the continent.
Municipalities at risk
For his part, the executive secretary of the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (Conred), Estuardo Cossío, reported that Much of the country will be affected.
Specifically, he explained that 65 municipalities are likely to be affected by the rain “very high”; at 123 “high”, at 92 the probability is “medium”, and at 60 “low”.
The departments that concentrate the largest number of municipalities where “very high” rains will occur are Retalhuleu, Suchitepéquez, Izabal, as well as parts of Quiché, Huehuetenango, Zacapa, Chiquimula, Jutiapa, and Alta Verapaz.
He indicated that the information was transferred this Saturday to the departmental governors who in turn must send it to the mayors of the most vulnerable municipalities.
The institution is on institutional red alert, added Cossío, who explained that the saturation of the soil, currently above 70%, can generate landslides and collapses.
In this sense, he reiterated a series of recommendations to the population, mainly to report any risk or emergency situation, Drive carefully on sections with slopes, check damage reports, and avoid crossing rivers or bodies of water.
