Attachments
Description of the Event
Date of event
30-10-2025
What happened, where and when?
Between 25 and 31 October 2025, the Costa Rican Red Cross responded to 525 emergencies, of which 517 were flood-related and 8 were caused by landslides. An average of 139 Red Cross personnel and 78 operational units were mobilized, providing assistance to 250 people, evacuating 120, and reporting 544 affected homes. The provinces with the highest number of incidents were Guanacaste (325), Southern Zone (153), and Northern Zone (16), demonstrating the extraordinary nature of the rainfall and the scale of the institutional response.
In the early morning of 30 October 2025, intense rains affected the northern zone of Costa Rica, increasing the institutional response efforts of the Costa Rican Red Cross (CRRC). Evacuations were carried out in areas such as Pénjamo in the North Zone and the city of Cartago, where flooding and landslides posed serious risks to communities. As rainfall persisted, the CRRC continued to provide emergency assistance, including rescues in mountainous areas, evacuations, transfers to shelters, and out-of-hospital care for people affected by accidents caused by adverse weather conditions.
The national emergency system had already been activated prior to this escalation. On 25 October, the National Emergency Commission (CNE) issued Alert #36, declaring Orange Alert in the Pacific coastal regions, Yellow for the Central and Northern regions, and Green for the Caribbean. Local emergency committees were instructed to monitor conditions, activate preparedness mechanisms, and keep response units on standby. In line with this, the Costa Rican Red Cross established Response Level 3 for Guanacaste, Puntarenas, and southern regions, deploying National Intervention Teams (NITs) and specialized units, while activating its Regional Operations Coordination Center (CCO) to support field operations.
The situation stemmed from the indirect effects of Tropical Storm Melissa, which evolved from Tropical Wave #40. As Melissa strengthened in the Caribbean, the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) began issuing advisories on heavy rains, high moisture, and unstable atmospheric conditions, particularly in the South Pacific and southern Central Pacific. Between 24 and 26 October, the IMN maintained alerts due to the high probability of landslides and flooding in vulnerable areas.
Melissa’s development was first detected on 21 October 2025, when the IMN confirmed that Tropical Wave #40 had intensified into a tropical storm. Earlier advisories from 19 to 21 October had already warned of potential cyclonic development and unstable weather associated with Tropical Waves #39 and #40. Considering this, the National Society requested the transition of the Imminent DREF MDRCR027 to response, since the event materialized and gave way to response actions where the response strategy focused on Multipurpose CVA, CEA, PGI, DRR and Strengthening of the SN and more accelerated actions are about to begin in Health and WASH.