Tropical Storm Sara made landfall in Belize on Sunday as forecasters expect heavy rain to cause potentially deadly flash flooding and mudslides.
The storm made landfall near Dangriga, about 55 miles southeast of the capital Belmopan, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.
This comes after Sara flooded the northern coast of Honduraswhere it has been stagnating since Friday, swelling rivers and trapping people in their homes.
Moises Castillo / AP
One death was reported Saturday morning by Honduras Emergency Management, which also said there had been at least 90 rescues and more than 47,000 people affected by the storm.
The tropical storm warning issued by the Hurricane Center on Sunday included the Bay Islands of Honduras as well as the country’s northern coast from Punta Castilla to its border with Guatemala; the Caribbean coast of Guatemala; The coast of Belize and northward to the coast of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, from Chetumal to Puerto Costa Maya.
The storm, which is moving at 6 mph, will continue to move inland over the Yucatan Peninsula and could drop up to 10 inches of rain in the region, with localized totals reaching 15 inches, up to early next week. These conditions “will result in areas of flash flooding, possibly significant flooding, as well as potential landslides,” according to the Hurricane Center.
NOAA/National Hurricane Center
“A storm surge could raise water levels to 1 to 3 feet above ground level near and north of where the center of Sara crosses the coast of Belize,” a indicated Sunday the center. “Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.”
Sara is the 18th named storm from 2024 Atlantic hurricane seasonwhich officially runs from June 1 to November 30, with peak activity generally between mid-August and mid-October. An average season brings 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which predicted the 2024 season would produce “above average” numbers.
