According to Special Meteorological Bulletin 25-2022, the movement speed is 19 kilometers per hour and it is slowly losing strength, so it is expected to enter the Petén region Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
One of the first communities affected is Melchor de Mencos, where flooding was recorded and 95 families had to be accommodated, but the effects will also be felt in Las Cruces, San Andrés and La Libertad. Dolores, Santa Ana and Poptun.
The winds associated with the system and copious rainfall will also cover the northern transverse strip and Bocacosta, which could cause severe flooding due to soil saturation in these areas.
At a press conference from the headquarters of the National Coordinator for Disaster Preparedness (Conred), President Alejandro Giammattei stated that according to the models, Lisa’s eye would intersect Petén with a hurricane category and would worsen as it progressed.
Although it would traverse areas of sparse population, it will surely wreak havoc on the Mayan biosphere due to wind speeds of 130 kilometers per hour predicted so far.
Another difference from recent tropical storm Julia, he explained, is that if it leaves national territory it could return as a sink or tailings, so the rain will last not just until next Friday, but all weekend and beyond.
Given the complex panorama, from the early warning last Monday to yesterday, the mobilization of food rations in the Petén and Izabal areas, measures have been taken to provide faster care to the possible victims, explained Giammattei.
Due to the institutional red alert, classes in those two departments have been suspended until at least tomorrow.
Damage and risk levels would also be assessed over the next few hours to see if the same would happen in other regions.
jha/mmc