Central America: Tropical Storm Sara - Flash Update No. 1 (as of 15 November 2024)

KEY MESSAGES

• Tropical Storm Sara made landfall on late 14 November near the Honduras-Nicaragua border, bringing sustained winds of 45 mph and heavy rainfall, with up to 30 inches expected in parts of northern Honduras, posing severe flooding and mudslide risks.
• Sara has already affected more than 20,500 people in Honduras. Authorities have placed multiple departments under alert, with public offices and humanitarian networks standing by to support. In Belize, officials and UN teams are actively preparing for Sara’s possible landfall within 72 hours. Other countries in Central America are also evaluating potential impacts from the storm.
• Sara previously left heavy rains to Panama and Costa Rica, both of which had recently taken on high rainfall from Rafael earlier in November. The non-stop rains prompted evacuations in Costa Rica and an emergency declaration in Panama.
• Sara is the 18th named storm in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which was forecast to produce between 17 and 25 named storms.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Tropical Storm Sara is currently affecting Central America, with Honduras facing the threat of severe flooding after the storm’s late 14 November landfall about 100 miles west-northwest of Cabo Gracias a Dios on the Honduras-Nicaragua border. Sara currently has sustained winds of around 45 mph and is moving west at 10 mph. The storm has brought heavy rainfall to the region, with forecasts projecting up to 30 inches in parts of northern Honduras, likely resulting in dangerous flash flooding and mudslides. Forecasts also call for rains in north-western Honduras, including the flood-prone Sula Valley. Officials in Honduras already report some 20,500 people affected, 3 people missing, and 570 people evacuated. At least 37 communities are cut off. Some 212 people are in 3 shelters across the departments of Atlántida and Colón.

Before reaching its current location and strength, Sara also brought heavy rain to parts of Panama and Costa Rica, with both countries previously issuing alerts due to heavy rains from Rafael earlier in the week. Tropical storm warnings remain in effect for coastal areas of Honduras and Nicaragua.

According to projections from the Honduran National Center for Atmospheric, Oceanographic, and Seismic Studies (CENAOS), Sara will continue moving slowly along the northern coast of Colón, Honduras, before accelerating toward Belize by 16 November. As it moves along Honduras's Caribbean coast, Sara is expected to cause significant river swelling, particularly in the Patuca, Sico, Aguan, and Lean rivers, with effects anticipated until 18 November. Urban flooding has already been reported in areas under alert, with parts of Islas de la Bahía experiencing flooding from heavy rains since 13 November. Sara may weaken due to land interaction but could still pose a risk to Belize and the Yucatán Peninsula before possibly reaching the Gulf of Mexico next week.

Sara is the 18th named storm in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which was forecast to produce between 17 and 25 named storms, in part due to warmer sea surface temperatures in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Sara follows November’s earlier storm, Rafael, whose impact is still being felt in Cuba after late October’s Hurricane Oscar and two recent earthquakes.

RESPONSE

Honduras

The Secretariat for Risk and National Contingency Management (COPECO) issued a red alert for four Caribbean coastal departments—Atlántida, Colón, Gracias a Dios, and Islas de la Bahía—and maintained a yellow alert for Cortés, Olancho, and Yoro, with a green alert for Santa Bárbara. COPECO activated the National Emergency Operations Center, initially focusing on rescue operations, shelter coordination, infrastructure, transportation, and energy, and is coordinating closely with Municipal and Local Emergency Committees. National Risk Management System (SINAGER) institutions stand ready to support response efforts.

Authorities urged at-risk residents to evacuate to safe shelters away from rivers. COPECO and Red Cross teams began deploying to Colón on 15 November, and the Secretariat of Social Development (SEDESOL) and the National Congress have made funds and supplies available for the response. Schools in Islas de la Bahía have been closed. Additionally, the Juan Manuel Gálvez Airport in Roatán, the Golosón Airport in La Ceiba and the Toncontín Airport in the capital of Tegucigalpa have suspended operations until further notice.

Humanitarian Network Support

The UN Resident Coordinator contacted the Minister of COPECO to confirm that the Humanitarian Network’s Contingency Plan is active and ready to support SINAGER’s response efforts. The Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG), the Humanitarian Network, and the Sula Valley Local Coordination Team will meet to review their contingency plans, while the Humanitarian Network’s communications team is disseminating storm preparedness information and amplifying COPECO’s official updates.

Humanitarian Network organizations are reviewing pre-positioned supplies on the Stockholm platform (see detailed list of pre-positioned supplies). The Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) cluster is coordinating with COPECO’s National Emergency Operations Center shelter coordinator to provide technical support alongside other clusters. The UN Resident Coordinator instructed the Humanitarian Network’s local counterparts in departments under alert to stay ready in case Municipal and Local Emergency Committees activate their coordination mechanisms. FAO activated its anticipatory action protocols for rain and flooding in the south.

Belize

The Prime Minister, acting on the advice of the Chief Meteorological Officer and the National Emergency Coordinator, declared the Preliminary Phase of the National Hurricane Plan, as Sara is forecast to make landfall within 72 hours. The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) has begun planning for the storm’s impacts and directed district committees to prepare in their communities. A flood warning remains in effect for the central and northern regions, specifically for the Rio Hondo, Macal, Mopan, and Belize Rivers. Meteorology officials note uncertainty about whether Sara will weaken or gain strength. Shelters in affected areas will open if needed.

The UN Emergency Technical Team (UNETT) is monitoring Sara’s track and meeting to review preparedness minimums based on their hurricane contingency plan. The Caribbean Development Partners Group (CDPG) is also convening in preparation for Sara’s likely arrival in Belize.

Regional

• Nicaragua: Ahead of Tropical Storm Sara’s arrival, the National System for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation, and Response (SINAPRED) met with the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies (INETER), local disaster committees (COMUPRED) from across the country, Civil Defense, the National Police, and the Ministry of the Interior to review emergency plans.
• Guatemala: Although Guatemala has not reported any effects from Sara, the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) declared an institutional orange alert nationwide over the storm. The National Humanitarian Forum continues to monitor developments.
• Mexico: The UNETT is following Sara’s track to gauge the storm’s potential impact in the Yucatán Peninsula early next week.
• El Salvador: The Ministry of the Environment’s Environmental Observatory reports that Tropical Storm Sara is not expected to directly affect El Salvador. However, due to its proximity, the storm will bring rain and thunderstorms in the coming days. The ICCG, with support from OCHA, is monitoring developments and remains in contact with the Directorate General of Civil Protection (DGPC) and the Environmental Observatory.
• Costa Rica: The National Emergency Commission (CNE) maintained alerts across several provinces, particularly in the Pacific, where officials set up evacuations and temporary shelters for more than 1,100 people. The UNETT continues to monitor the situation and prepare as needed. The UN remains in contact with CNE authorities, though authorities have not requested humanitarian assistance.
• Panama: On 14 November, authorities declared a national emergency, allowing the mobilization of up to US$100 million to address the damage stemming from Rafael and now Sara. Assessments are ongoing in Darién, Chiriquí, Bocas del Toro, Veraguas, Los Santos, and Herrera, as well as in the Ngäbe Buglé, Emberá Wounaan, and Guna Yala regions, with continued reports of rainfall and landslides. UN agencies, funds and programmes are distributing donations in the affected areas. The UNETT is not fully activated but continues to monitor Sara and track Government-identified needs.