Afternoon Rains Caused Traffic Chaos in San Pedro

As we approach the worst months of the rainy seasons, September and October, residents of San Pedro got a taste of what is to come.



The afternoon downpours Friday afternoon turned a San Pedro street virtually into a swimming pool.

The water level rose to overcome vehicles, as shown by images captured by employees of APC, a nearby store.

According to area residents, this is not the first time this happens.



The amount of rain coming down in a short period and storms sewers not being able to handle the volume are the cause. In this case, water coming a nearby mall aggravated the problem.

However, this type of problem is nothing new as it is a common occurrence in many parts of San José, as clogged sewers create a hazard for everyone during heavy rains.

The storm sewers can back up quickly and then take hours for the waters to subside.

Like yesterday, it is common during heavy rains for the streets turn into a hazard and drivers sometimes being trapped in their vehicles.



In yesterday's case, the driver of the vehicle was able to drive away and not require emergency assistance that was standing by.

In the coming weeks the rains will become intense and it is extremely important to keep an eye out, not only for the potholes, missing manhole covers, open ditches and other road hazards, but for a flash flooding due to backed up sewers.

Important also is to never trust the puddle of water ahead, never know how deep the water really is and if there is a pothole or missing manhole cover at the bottom.

It is also a good time to inspect tires and replace balding rubber, check the windshield wipers and that your vehicle's ventilation system is working to reduce fogging of the glass interior. All these items, by themselves or together are a recipe for disaster during a Costa Rican rain storm.