Tropical Storm Sara approached landfall in Belize on Sunday, with forecasters warning that the storm could bring life-threatening conditions, including heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and mudslides. As the storm intensified, the National Hurricane Center issued alerts for the region, urging residents to prepare for potentially severe impacts. The heavy rains and strong winds associated with Sara could lead to dangerous flooding in low-lying areas, while mountainous regions face an elevated risk of mudslides.
Belize, along with neighboring countries, is on high alert as the storm’s path could affect a broad area, potentially disrupting travel, power, and local infrastructure. Emergency response teams are on standby to assist with evacuations and to mitigate the storm’s impact. As the situation unfolds, officials are closely monitoring the storm’s movement, and residents are advised to heed any evacuation orders or safety instructions.
The storm’s centre was expected to make landfall in Belize in the late morning or around midday, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. This comes after Sara drenched the northern coast of Honduras, where it stalled since Friday, swelling rivers and trapping some people at home.
As of Sunday, the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for several areas across Central America and the Yucatán Peninsula due to Tropical Storm Sara. The warning covers Honduras’ Bay Islands and its northern coast, extending from Punta Castilla to the border with Guatemala. It also includes the Caribbean coast of Guatemala, as well as Belize’s coastline. In Mexico, the warning extends from Chetumal to Puerto Costa Maya along the state of Quintana Roo.
“A storm surge could raise water levels by as much as one to three feet above ground level near and to the north of where the centre of Sara crosses the coast of Belize,” the center said Sunday. “Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.”
