Casa Presidencial photos 

U.S. National Hurricane Center graphic  

Storms are lined up across the Atlantic again

Some 18 cantons have suffered from the impact of rains Monday and early Tuesday.

The hardest hit were homes along the Río María Angular south of San José where 25 homes were undermined by the river and two were destroyed. Entire households could be seen floating down the river.

Emergency work was being done in Desamparados, Montes de Oca, Mora, Moravia, Curridabat, San José, La Unión, Cartago,  Alajuela, Bagaces, Nicoya, Abangares, Turrialba, Putarenas, Guatuzo, Alajuela, San Ramón and El Guarco.

Shelters were operating in Zapote and in Bagaces in Guanacaste. Some parts of the Pacific coast got as much as 5 inches of rain overnight.

And the trouble is not over. The national emeregency commission has an alert posted because a low pressure area above the Yucatan peninsula has become a tropical storm.  This is Karl and the effects are being felt here. The Instituto Meteorológical Nacional blamed the heavy rainfall Monday and Tuesday on this weather system.

The Central Valley was hit with electrical storms in the midafternoon. However the storms were not as strong as the ones Monday.

Meanwhile the U.S. Nacional Hurricane Center noted that two more systems, both official hurricanes, are lined up across the Atlantic. They are Igor and Julia.  


Whale patrol keeps eye
on mothers and offspring


The Servicio Nacional de Guardacostas in Quepos reports that its patrol personnel are paying particular attention to the maternity ward in the sea where hundreds of humpback whales are giving birth.

The coast guard is joined by Marviva, a private organization, in trying to keep fishing boats away from the young whales. The areas of concern are mainly off the Parque Marino Ballena and the Isla del Caño in the canton of Osa in the southern Pacific coast.

Much of the work is educational in talking to fishermen about the whales, which began arriving in July.  The coast guard officers also contact tourist operators to remind them to stay at least 200 meters (about 650 feet) away from the whales. Some whale mothers do not take kindly to intrusions and presumed danger to their babies, said the coast guard.

Captains of tourist boats also are supposed to cut their engines while they are viewing whales, the coast guard said.


13 year old is murder suspect
in death of 9-year-old boy


A 13 year old has been detained in the killing of Steward Alfaro Barrantes, 9. The crime happened Aug. 31 when the 9 year old was on the way to a local store in the La Carpio district. He was struck down by a stray shot generated by gunplay between rival youth gangs. A woman also was wounded. Two other youths, 16 and 17, also have been detained. One is the brother of the 13 year old.


Missing Osa man located
after Sunday traffic accident


Judicial agents confirmed Tuesday that they have found the body of a 19-year-old man swept away by a current after a vehicle was hit by a surge of water. The body was located by a resident.

He was identified by the last name of Viquez. The accident happened Sunday in Tres Rios de Coronado de Osa. Also in the vehicle was a U.S. citizen identified as Gordon Ray Smith, investigators said. His body was found the same day. Investigators said Smith was the stepfather to the younger man. Smith tried to cross a stream in his vehicle when the water surge hit and carried the car downstream, investigators said.

The body found Tuesday was some distance away in Punta Mala de Osa.