by Rod Hughes
Severe flooding in parts of the Caribbean zone and northern Costa Rica has left 1,300 homes, 2,000 kilometers of roads, more than 130 bridges and sources of potable water destroyed or damaged.
Although no one was reported killed, the government has declared a national emergency and Presidency Minister Rodrigo Arias said the damage was of “immense magnitude.” The emergency decree allows the government to speed up contracting procedures and free up funds to repair the damage.
The torrencial rains began July 5 and continued until last Tuesday, the result of winds from the Caribbean colliding with moisture-laden Pacific air masses.
The English-language weekly The Tico Times reported today that perhaps the most difficult damage to repair concerns the bridges, at least 20 of which have collapsed.