Tropical Storm Sara is slowly drifting into portions of Central America, producing epic rainfall and catastrophic flooding as it does so. Several feet of rain have fallen with additional rain measured in feet expected to swamp places like Roatan, Belize, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
As of noon local time today, the center of Tropical Storm Sara was located near Isla Guanaja, Honduras where it is slowly moving toward the west near 2 mph. According to the National Hurricane Center, a continued slow westward motion is expected over the next day or so, followed by a more west-northwestward motion beginning late Saturday. On the forecast track, the center of Sara will continue to move close to the northern coast of Honduras through early Saturday before approaching Belize, and then moving onshore in Belize during the day on Sunday. Some slight strengthening is possible over the next couple of
days as long as Sara remains offshore of the coast of Honduras.
Epic rains from Tropical Storm #Sara are bringing catastrophic flooding to Roatan, Honduras, and Nicaragua. https://t.co/uqRjoO5SIl
— the Weatherboy (@theWeatherboy) November 15, 2024
Through early next week, rainfall amounts of 15-25″ with isolated storm totals around 35″ are expected over northern Honduras. This rainfall will lead to widespread areas of life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flash flooding and mudslides, especially along and near the Sierra La Esperanza. Elsewhere across the rest of Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, eastern Guatemala, western Nicaragua, and the Mexican State of Quintana Roo, Tropical Storm Sara is expected to produce 5-10″ of rain with localized totals around 15 inches through early next week. This will result in areas of flash flooding, perhaps significant, along with the potential of mudslides.
Sara is forecast to cross the Yucatan Peninsula and enter the southern Gulf of Mexico by Monday. It is still too soon to say with any certainty where the remnants of this storm will head and what impacts the remnants will have on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
