The northern part of Central America was on high alert for the passage of Hurricane Lisa on Wednesday, with warnings of devastating winds, downpours and flash floods also affecting Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued a hurricane warning for the Bay Islands of Honduras, the Belize coast and Mexico’s Yucatan Territory, which stretches from Chetumal to Puerto Costa Maya.
Lisa was moving west in the Caribbean Sea at a speed of 24 kilometers (15 miles) per hour with maximum sustained winds of 120 km/h (75 mph) and even higher gusts, the NHC said.
“Additional strengthening is forecast as Lisa approaches Belize. A weakening is expected after the center hits land,” it added.
Heavy rains could cause flash floods across Belize as far north as Guatemala, far southeastern Yucatan, eastern Mexico’s Chiapas state and Tabasco state, the report said.
“A storm surge is likely to raise water levels by as much as 4 to 7 feet (1.2 to 2.1 meters) above normal tide levels near and north of where the center of Lisa meets the Belizean coast and the extreme southeastern parts of the Yucatan peninsula,” the center said.
It also warned the surge would be accompanied by “large and damaging waves” and would swell as far north as Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, potentially creating “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”
The Center for Atmospheric, Oceanographic and Seismic Studies (CENAOS) of Honduras has issued a red alert for the Bay Islands.
Ronnie Mcnab, mayor of the largest island and tourist attraction, Roatan, declared a state of emergency that allowed classes to be suspended and schools to be turned into shelters.
He urged people to stock up on groceries and guests not to leave their hotels for 36 hours.
In Belize, the government declared a red alert for coastal areas and closed schools, while in Guatemala and El Salvador – expecting a lesser impact – authorities were on high alert.
In Belize, many residents feared losing everything they owned.
“A lot of people have homes that are not safe,” resident Jazmin Ayusola told AFP before the storm.
Lisa arrives less than three weeks after the passage of Julia, another Category 1 hurricane that killed dozens in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.
