Guatemala Awaits Ernesto

Forecasts indicate that Tropical Storm Ernesto will become a Category 1 hurricane, so the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (Conred) issued here a yellow alert in four Guatemalan departments.

The Conred said the measure was taken to be implemented over the next 72 hours in the territories of Peten, Izabal, Alta Verapaz and San Marcos.

The executive secretary of the entity, Alegrandro Maldonado, said during a press conference in this city on Monday, is was sent three teams of intervention to the northern departments of the country to make the necessary arrangements before the possible impact of Ernesto.

According to Education Deputy Minister, Eligio Sic, the decision to cancel classes in the four regions mentioned will be taken by the local authorities on Tuesday, when the atmospheric effects will be known.

The director of the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology, Eddy Sanchez, pointed Ernesto has moved slowly in the last hours and will continue its course to Yucatan peninsula in Mexico.

Conred informed the metheorologists keep monitoring the atmospheric phenomenon by the Early Warning System to face Hurricanes in the Atlantic, while sharing with delegates and officials from the departments most likely to suffer affectations.

Rains associated to this phenomenon will start falling from today, mainly in northern parts of this nation and the Caribbean, said Sanchez.

Since 1996, Conred serves as the entity to prevent, mitigate, respond and participate in rehabilitation and reconstruction of the damages caused by disasters in Guatemala.