SAN SALVADOR: Tropical Storm Amanda, the first named storm of the season in the Pacific, killed at least 14 people as it lashed El Salvador and Guatemala on Sunday amid flooding and power outages.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele declared a state of emergency for 15 days to cope with the effects of the storm, which weakened later in the day as it moved into Guatemala. The fatalities were all recorded in El Salvador, interior minister Mario Duran said, warning that the death toll could rise.
Amanda knocked down trees, triggered flash floods and landslides, caused power outages, and damaged about 200 homes, the head of the Civil Protection Service William Hernandez said. One person is still missing, senior government official Carolina Recinos added. San Salvador Mayor Ernesto Muyshondt said half of those killed died in the capital. “We are experiencing an unprecedented situation: one top-level emergency on top of another serious one,” he said, referring to the coronavirus pandemic.