Costa Rica, a small country in Central America that is known for its tropical beauty, was struck by Hurricane Otto on Tuesday, November 22.
Prior to Hurricane Otto, Costa Rica had never been hit by a hurricane directly, according to records that go back to 1851. However, even though hurricanes aren’t a common thing in Costa Rica, its people were quick to gather to help their brothers and sisters in need with several actions of kindness including donations, volunteering, and support throughout the media after devastation hit the country after the hurricane.
The hurricane itself, classified as a Category 2 hurricane (according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale), hit Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Currently, it has been reported that at least nine people were killed by the hurricane and that about 5,500 people were evacuated. As of Thursday afternoon, 231 communities in Costa Rica have been affected, 23 of which were isolated due to damage to the roads and highways.
Not only is it a devastating hurricane, Hurricane Otto is also the largest forming hurricane recorded in the region. According to Jeff Masters of Weather Underground, Otto is the only tropical storm or hurricane whose center has ever moved over Costa Rica, and the latest Atlantic hurricane to reach Category 2. Otto has also been classified as the latest hurricane formation on record in the Caribbean Sea, the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record this late in the year according to the National Hurricane Center. At the moment, Otto continues to weaken as it heads eastern towards the Pacific Ocean.
Thankfully, the number of possible fatalities was decreased by the quick reaction of President Luis Guillermo Solís and the emergency systems of Costa Rica that aided the country by evacuating thousands of people and by making rescue efforts that kept the population safe. Efforts from President Solís also decreased the number of fatalities due to his declaration that the hurricane was state of emergency, and him urging vehicles off the roads and hospital in most at-risk areas to suspend elective surgeries and transfer patients.
Outside of Costa Rica, the hurricane has had negative results on surrounding areas. Heavy rains from the hurricane have caused flooding in some areas and so far there have been three reported deaths in Panama. There were no reported deaths in Nicaragua.
To help with hurricane relief, visit the Amigos Of Costa Rica website and donate to the Red Cross.
