Storm Continues Devastating Panama

Bad weather continues swooping over a large part of the Panamanian national territory and made great havoc in four provinces due to floods, overflowing in rivers, fallen trees and power lines.

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was on Tuesday doing damage assessments and calesses will not be resumed in those schools that have been suspended until the rains stop, said Edwin Gordon, Regional Director of the Ministry of Education in Bocas del Toro.

According to initial reports of the National Civil Protection Service (Sinaproc), the 580 people have come to the village of El Empalme from nearby communities that have been evacuated due to precaution because of the Changuinola River overflow.

Over 100 people from the town Teoroma were relocated to a school and and other 250 were evacuated in the village of Las Tablas because the stream Rosa overflowed.

Sixaola river flow, on the border with Costa Rica, stood six feet high, but within its banks, while the Changuinola and Teribe rivers also have lowered their torrent in the last hours.

Arturo Alvarado, national director of Sinaproc, said the floods caused heavy losses to banana producers in border.

Sinaproc also gave details today of the havoc in 30 villages in the province of Los Santos caused by a waterspout on Sunday, which came into the cove by the harbor Mensabe, passed through San Jose, El Muñoz and other communities which were also affected.

The weather grew worse in the metropolitan area. In Colon, in the area of Nueva Resurrection, 98 homes were damaged and 451 people were affected. Transistmica Highway, at the height of El Limon and Samanca, was obstructed by fallen trees and landslides were reported.

Downpours are forecast to continue util mid-week.