He Congress of The Savior declared this Sunday “national state of emergency” before the arrival of the tropical storm “Pillar” from the ocean Peacefulscheduled for Tuesday.
“A state of national emergency is declared throughout the territory of the republic for a period of 15 days,” indicates the decree that allows different institutions to be activated and funds to be mobilized to address eventualities.
The Legislative Assembly convened an extraordinary session on Sunday night to approve, with 75 votes in favor, the president’s request Nayib Bukeleto decree the preventive state by virtue of the fact that “the risk has become widespread” throughout the country.
Bukele urgently returned to El Salvador from a visit to Costa Rica for personal reasons to coordinate the emergency that may occur with the arrival of the meteorological phenomenon.
Tropical storm “Pilar” is currently moving at 8 km/hour towards the coast of El Salvador, said the United States National Hurricane Center.
El Salvador, with 6.6 million inhabitants, has the 87% of its limited territory of 20,742 km2 vulnerable to floods, landslides and constant tremors.
The country still remembers the impact of the tropical storm “Julia” in October 2022, which caused the death of 10 people in addition to million-dollar losses in basic grain crops.
“Heavy rains” and “rapid flooding”
The meteorological agency indicated that in addition to El Salvador, the Pacific coasts of Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua are also at risk.
The sustained winds of “Pilar” are currently about 62 km/hour sustained at surface level, although they could reach up to 117 km/hour if it strengthens into a tropical storm.
“Tropical storm conditions could be possible early Tuesday into Wednesday along parts of the coast of El Salvador,” according to forecasts.
The US National Hurricane Center also indicated that “heavy rains” are expected that could produce “rapid floods in urban areas along with landslides in high areas of the coast of the Central American Pacific”.
Red alert
On the part of Civil Protection, a “red alert” was decreed (maximum level of four).
This situation is only decreed in El Salvador “when the natural phenomenon has severely affected and an emergency plan must be executed,” as indicated through the social network Press Secretary of the Presidency.
Before the arrival of “Pilar” classes were canceled throughout the country, activities on the coast were restricted and access to beaches and rivers was prohibited.
Likewise, on Tuesday afternoon, the government began to prepare the emergency plan for the possible contingency and deployed assistance teams, as well as began the preparation of shelters or shelters in the face of the need to displace the population.
25 years after “Mitch”
The state of national emergency due to the arrival of “Pilar” occurs precisely on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the devastating Hurricane Mitch” in central America.
That phenomenon left around 9,000 dead and many others missing, changed the course of rivers and generated damage losses worth billions of dollars, mainly in Honduras.
Precisely in that country, President Xiomara Castro indicated through the social network
(AFP)
Source-www.infobae.com