Honduras Flooded by Tropical Storm Sara, Leaving Over 1,700 Communities Cut Off and Significant Damage Reported

Torrential rain from Tropical Storm Sara has left over 1,700 communities in Honduras isolated due to severe flooding across the country.

The slow-moving storm has already affected more than 110,000 people, with officials reporting one confirmed death so far.

Forecasters predict that Sara will likely weaken on Monday as it moves over Quintana Roo, a southern state in Mexico.

The storm, which formed in the Caribbean Sea on Thursday, unleashed heavy rainfall in northern Honduras for four consecutive days before shifting north toward Belize and Mexico.

Some areas experienced up to 500 mm (19.7 inches) of rain, causing rivers to overflow their banks.

Honduran emergency services reported that nine bridges were destroyed by the fast-moving waters, while an additional 19 sustained damage. Several highways also became impassable due to landslides, complicating rescue efforts.

President Xiomara Castro had alerted residents near rivers to seek shelter as early as Thursday, and thousands responded to her warning.

Rescue workers have been conducting house-to-house searches to assist those stranded, with over 2,500 homes damaged and more than 200 completely destroyed.

Sara marks the 18th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season and the third in this month alone. Just weeks ago, Hurricane Rafael caused a nationwide blackout in Cuba.

Meteorologists attribute the intensity of these storms to high sea surface temperatures, emphasizing that human-caused climate change is exacerbating the risks associated with such weather events.

Kevin Trenberth, a distinguished scholar at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, warned that climate change is significantly increasing the potential for major damage from these storms.