Latin America: Storm Surge - May 2015

Between 2-4 May 2015, an unusual phenomenon produced waves two meters above sea level that left behind dozens of victims, evacuees and damage to infrastructure on the Pacific Ocean side of Latin America. The El Salvadoran coast was among the hardest hit, with damage across the entire coastal line in the departments of Ahuachapán, Sonsonate, La Libertad, La Paz, San Vicente, Usulután and La Union. More than 1,300 people were evacuated: 514 were in shelters and 1,270 were providing their own shelter. Another segment of the population had migrated to areas where they had access to family shelters and to the Chapina Garita area. (IFRC, 16 May 2015) This phenomenon also affected other countries such as Chile, Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and Honduras, among others, with damages to houses, tourism sector and roads (OCHA, 4 May 2015).