Guatemala update - TS Agatha
Actually, this is more of a report since the stratovolcano outside Guatemala City erupted:
On Thursday, 27 May - Pacaya one of three stratovolcanoes surrounding Guatemala City erupted and dumped 125mm of ash on south side of Guatemala City. During this time, the airport was immediately closed and air traffic enroute was returned. At the same time along the coast from El Salvador to Mexico a fierce tropical depression was forming and it had begun raining. 55 mm per hour fell on Pto. San Jose, Iztapa, Esquintla and up to Antigua.
Friday, 28 May - The storm became TS Agatha with 55kt winds. Then it moved further inland to Amatitlan and the City itself. Mixing with the newly fallen ash, it quickly became a quagmire. Then more rain fell, as the storm moved back and forth across the coastline adding more to the already swollen rivers and mudslides created by this enormous deluge, covered the roads with thick mud.
Saturday, 29 May - Up by the Filadelphia Coffee buildings it was 1 m deep, enough to push fully loaded tractor trailers over.
Sunday and Monday, 30 & 31 May - Continuing rains pounded the coastline, flooding the Port of Quetzal - containers were floating in 1.15 m of water. Workers were able to easily manuver them around by hand! The good news is tho we had a substantial amount of rain, it did not impede our way. Casa Vieja Lodge was not damaged as we are on high ground. Can't say the same for those on the sand spit and adjacent to the old inlet - they had up to a meter of mud inside the villas.
The boats at Marina Pez Vela were undamaged.
By Wednesday, 02 June the airport had re-opened to Red Cross and USAID flights. Agatha was downgraded to a depression and sat off the Belizean coast.
Last edited by Legend; 06-11-2010 at 10:04 AM.
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