(CNN) — El Salvador is preparing for the possible effects of the passing of the tropical storm Julia across the country starting this Sunday night, according to forecasts from the Ministry of the Environment.
“It’s going to be rainy, we’re going to have a lot of precipitation on Monday, Tuesday. Rainfall amounts above 100 millimeters are expected. That is to say, it will rain what usually rains in a couple of weeks, it will be concentrated in those two days, therefore, we have to be prepared,” warned Fernando López, Minister of the Environment of El Salvador at a press conference. .
Later, Civil Protection of El Salvador reported that the red alert had been decreed:
????#ATTENTION???? With the declaration of NATIONAL EMERGENCY, our country is in ????#Red alert.
➡️Remember the population to follow all the recommendations we provide and ask that if they live in risk areas they evacuate preventively to our shelters. pic.twitter.com/Mt3lOC2CNP
— Civil Protection of El Salvador (@PROCIVILSV) October 9, 2022
According to predictions, the intense rains could cause flooding in the city, as well as landslides, falling trees and the overflow of rivers or streams throughout the territory.
Given this scenario, the Legislative Assembly decreed a national emergency for 15 days, with the purpose of facilitating the use of resources by the government to attend to emergencies caused by Julia’s passage.
The government has enabled some 61 temporary shelters in different areas to preventively transfer families living in places of risk or those that require it due to possible floods.