The government authorities speak of crisis and say the emergency in the country is one of the most serious in its history.
Storm Nate left destruction and death in its wake. In comparison with Otto, the damages were greater: dead, communities under alert, shelters and resources allocated to address the emergency.
But why did a tropical storm affect the country more than a hurricane like Otto, which hit the country in November 2016?
Juan Carlos Fallas, director of the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) said it was a “combo.”
First, the effects of Hurricane Otto were concentrated north of the country, while tropical storm Nate reached more than 70 cantons.
In addition, the storm arrived in October, a month characterized by heavy rains and showers. This intensified with the storm.
When Nate arrived, Fallas explained, there were already unstable atmospheric conditions that favored precipitation.
Finally, some sectors of the country already had saturated soils, which contributed to floods and landslides with the arrival of Nate.
The director of the IMN said on Monday afternoon that for this weekend the country could face a new tropical wave, number 43.
However, for the moment its behavior and the trajectory is being studied and it is not possible to guess the impact that it will have on the national territory.
Due to damage caused by Nate, part of the country remains on red alert. The President of the Republic, Luis Guillermo Solís, said that the emergency is not over.