Tropical Storm Nate Kills 22 in Central America Amid Flooding and Landslides

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/07/world/americas/storm-nate-destruction-central-america.html

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Tropical Storm Nate barreled up the eastern coast of Central America this week, leaving destruction in its wake before being upgraded to a category 1 hurricane as it moved toward the United States.

At least 22 people were killed across Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua as a result of the storm, which dumped rain on the region and caused widespread flooding.

In Costa Rica, landslides caused significant damage to roads and villages, cutting off some areas. A highway that connects the south of the country was washed away in Casa Mata. At least 5,000 residents fled to emergency shelters there, according to The Associated Press, and the storm prompted Costa Rican officials to postpone a World Cup qualifying soccer match with Honduras.

The Costa Rican government declared a state of emergency, and President Luis Guillermo Solís appealed to the international community for support.

In Nicaragua, at least 15 people were killed by the storm, The Associated Press reported, citing Vice President Rosario Murillo. Schools were closed nationwide.

Before the storm hit, the country had already endured two weeks of heavy rainfall that had left the ground saturated.

On Saturday, the storm was moving across the central Gulf of Mexico where it was gaining strength as it headed toward the United States. The storm was expected to make landfall early Sunday morning.

A hurricane warning was in effect for parts of the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and east to Alabama and Florida. New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain were also under a hurricane warning, and several offshore oil and gas platforms and drilling rigs in the gulf were evacuated.