The Nosara fairground has been active as a shelter since Wednesday morning, August 26, to house at least 500 people affected by floods caused by the rainy season in the Guanacaste region.
According to Ana Alvarenga, a member of the Nosara Firefighters organization, early Wednesday morning, they evacuated three families in the San Carlos neighborhood to the east of central Nosara, one of the areas most affected by the rains.
Firefighters report that the San Pedro, Arenales, La Esperanza and Ostional neighborhoods were also affected by non-evacuable floods. Vehicles are blocked from passing through the Ostional area due to the Ostional River swelling.
Although the Nosara River has not overflowed, authorities are staying in communication with the firefighters of Hojancha, where the river’s source is. The amount of rain in that canton can cause the river to overflow on the coast.
Another element that they take into account for monitoring is the level of the tide, which tends to rise after 10 p.m.
Firefighters are paying special attention to neighborhoods like Hollywood, which is located along the flow of the original riverbed. In fact, they haven’t ruled out that they might need to transfer more people to the shelter from these communities during the next days.
The Nosara Integral Development Association (ADIN) recommends the early evacuation of these areas, since the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) predicts that the rains will continue for 36 to 48 more hours.
We need for people who know that their house is vulnerable to not wait until someone comes to get them out. If they can go to another safer place, this is the time to do it,” emphasized Rocio Navarrete, communications manager for ADIN.
There are currently two active shelters in Nosara for families affected by floods, the one in the bullriding ring that can shelter between 500 and 800 people, and one in the Bocas de Nosara school, where they will transfer people with flooded houses who have COVID symptoms. The latter is empty currently.
Both shelters were fumigated and disinfected in the morning to protect against diseases such as COVID-19 or dengue. Authorities will place each family or social bubble in the shelter at a distance of two meters (six feet).
According to Alvarenga, families can go to shelters on their own as soon as they notice that their house is beginning to flood.
If someone can mobilize on their own before there is a total overflow, it greatly facilitates the processes,” the firefighter affirmed.
If you need to leave your home and cannot do it on your own, the Nosara Firefighters, ADIN volunteers and the Public Force can help you.
You can call these numbers:
Nosara Firefighters: 8709-0614
ADIN: 8966-7272
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