Hurricane Julia hits Central America

Julia made landfall in Nicaragua early Sunday morning and crossed into the eastern Pacific that night. With more than 25 confirmed death in Venezuela, Julia changed her path and status to a tropical storm from Hurricane 1, with meteorologists continuing to warn of the dangers of the storm.

Late Sunday morning, Julia lost wind intensity, and at 1 pm EDT Sunday, the sustained wind speed was down to 40 mph from 70 mph. The storm was centered roughly 15 miles south of San Salvador, El Salvador. Julia left more than two dozen people dead due to the mudslides from heavy rainfall in Venezuela last weekend.

Most of the central American countries are under siege from the torrential rains with the undeveloped infrastructures collapsing. Until Tuesday, Julia will be lingering at the thin waist of the American continent threatening with more rainfall.

The most far-reaching threats to lives and property are likely to stem from torrential rainfall in Central America. A general 8-12 inches (200-300 mm) is forecast in central and western Nicaragua, as well as part of southern Honduras and perhaps eastern El Salvador where an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 20 inches (500 mm) is anticipated. Rainfall of this magnitude will lead to major flooding of rivers, flash flooding of small streams and urban areas, and the likelihood of mudslides in mountainous terrain.

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