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What happened, where and when?
On 1 November, the Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology of Panama (IMHPA) provided a watch warning for abundant rains with significant thunderstorms throughout Panama and maritime areas, predicting the intensification of winds from the West and Southwest with possible gusts greater than 50 km/h, which could generate choppy seas on both coasts of Panama.
On 2 November, abundant rains were recorded associated with a tropical disturbance whose center was located north of Panama and over the Caribbean Sea, mainly affecting the provinces of Los Santos, Herrera, Veraguas, Chiriquí, Bocas del Toro and the Ngäbe Bugle indigenous region, declared under red alert. The rest of the country remained on yellow alert.
Due to the saturation of the soils, on 4 November, the National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC) extended the red alert in eastern Panama, Darién and its regions, warning that the rains could continue over the next few days, increasing the risk of floods and landslides.
The rainfall forecast as of 5 November indicates rainfall concentrations in the central and western provinces of the country as a result of the indirect effects generated by Tropical Storm Rafael. In the case of the provinces of Panama and Panama Oeste, they remain on yellow alert. The saturation of the soil, which reaches 90%, increases the risk of overflows, landslides and river floods, affecting hundreds of families.