SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) – El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has announced a state of emergency on Sunday due to tropical storm Pilar. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts that the storm will bring heavy rains and cause flooding along the coast within the next 48 hours.
To address the situation, the government has issued a “red” alert, the highest level on a four-level scale, and has suspended classes. By declaring an emergency, the government can allocate funds to handle the impact of the storm.
There have already been reports of some flooding on the central coast and in the east of the country.
The NHC’s latest advisory, released on Sunday, states that Pilar is projected to be near El Salvador’s coast on Tuesday night or early Wednesday. However, the core of the storm is expected to stay offshore.
Currently, winds are around 40 miles per hour (65 km/h), but the NHC warns that they may become stronger. The center also predicts that Pilar could reach hurricane strength by Tuesday, as additional strengthening is anticipated over the next couple of days.
Acapulco, a city in Mexico on the Pacific coast, is still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Otis last week. Otis, classified as a Category 5 storm, caused extensive destruction and claimed the lives of 48 people.
Honduras has also issued a Tropical Storm Watch for its Pacific coast, in accordance with the information provided by the NHC.
Reporting from San Salvador by Gerardo Arbaiza, writing by Daina Beth Solomon, editing by Simon Cameron-Moore.
