Saturday 29 November
2008, San José, Costa
Rica
Dollar
Drops
˘15 In A Single Day
46.000 Affected, 6.000
in Shelters Due To
Weeklong Rain
Drivers Can Continue To
Leave The Scene Of An
Accident
SOUTHCOM Deploys
Disaster Assistance Team
to Costa Rica, Panama
Cocos Island Betters
Its Position In The “New
Seven Wonders”
Competition
Bill To Change The Boundaries of The Las
Baulas National Park Rejected
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46.000 Affected, 6.000
in Shelters Due To
Weeklong Rain
The total of people
affected by the more
than a week of constant
in rain in the Caribbean
coast has reached
46.000, of which more
than 6.000 are being
housed in shelters in a
various parts of the
province of Limón. The
heaviest affected is the
southern part of the
province in the areas of
Sixaola and Talamanca.
The Comisión Nacional De
Emergencias (CNE) -
national emergency
commission - along with
the Cruz Roja (Red
Cross) is working
feverishly to get to all
the affected, especially
those in communities
isolated due to rivers
breaching their banks
and washing away roads
and bridges.
CNE president, Daniel
Gallardo, confirms that
roads and highways have
suffered damage,
pineapple and banana
crops are creating a
huge financial loss for
the companies and the
residents of the areas,
fresh water is a problem
as wells need to be
repaired and cleaned.
Landslides have blocked
passage on Ruta 32, the
major road linking San
José and Limón. A number
of landslides along the
route have caused
transport officials to
partially close the road
in some areas, while in
others the highway is
completely closed
temporarily while work
crews clean up the
debris. The fear of more
landslides is keeping an
alert for drivers on the
highway.
The alternate routes are
no better. Mudslides and
flooding of the road has
caused additional
detours. A trip between
San José and Limón
normally takes 3 hours,
more on the alternate
routes and even more due
to the detours and
closings.
The central government
earlier this week
declared a "national
emergency" allowing aid
of up to ˘2 billion
colones and the
resources of government
institutions to the
area.
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