20 Lives Lost in Escazu Landslide

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The average rainfall in Quepos for the entire month of November is 400 liters per square meter, but this year, because the effects of tropical storm “Tomas” Quepos received 504 liters per square meter in just 72 hours…

Costa Rica is very, very wet.

Six bridges have collapsed, many roads are impassable, more than 135,000 people have no access to water, thousands have no electricity, in San Antonio de Escazu at least 23 people have died.

On Wednesday night just before midnight, high up in the hills of San Antonio de Escazu an avalanche of mud suddenly slid down the hill destroying dozens of humble homes and killing at least 23 people, they expect to find many more bodies.

It is tragic that in 2002 three scientists from the University of Costa Rica warned that this exact area known as Pico Blanco in San Antonio de Escazu was a high risk area and as usual, it’s the poor people in the poorest communities living in the flimsiest of wooden homes who have suffered the most.

In her press conference, President Chinchilla said that areas surrounding Pico Blanco; “have been considered risky zones and highly vulnerable to disaster for a long time.”

Avalanche of Mud in San Antonio de Escazu Video

The Dead in Escazu

Joselyn Morales M. (6 años)

Stacy Morales M. (3 meses)

Haydé Marín Marín (56 años)

María Fernández M. (45 años)

Marcelo Fernández Marín (22)

Gilberto Morales Herrera (28)

Hilary Morales Marín (3)

Carmen Marín Marín (20)

Jirlany Zúñiga Marín (17)

Miguel Ureña Ureña (60)

Sebastián Porras Solís (4)

Inés María Ureña Mora (18)

Johnny Hernández Chaves (20)

Eduardo Serrano Aguilar (52)

Zoraida Chaves Sánchez (46)

María Chaves Mora (76)

Allan Ureña Mora (26)

Seidy Marín Sandí (30)

Brian Zúñiga Marín (6)

Allison Zúñiga Marín (4)

More rain is expected until the end of the week so if you are planning to drive in Costa Rica you might want to check on the road conditions here.

For those of you who do not speak Spanish, if it says: “Paso regulado, no hay paso, cierre total de la vía, paso cerrado, cerrado, cierre total de ruta por derrumbe, paso con precaución, cerrado por derrumbe” I would encourage you not to make that trip.

The good news is that this extraordinarily heavy rainy season is coming to an end soon, the cheerful and normally laid back Ticos have again proven themselves to be a tough bunch during tough times and the emergency response teams have done an admirable job so far and…

We’re all looking forward to basking in that warm Costa Rica sun again.

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Written by Scott Oliver, author of 1. Costa Rica Real Estate Scams & How To Avoid Them, 2. How To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa, and 3. Costa Rica’s Guide To Making Money Offshore.

23 Lives Lost in Escazu Landslide

Article/Property ID Number 2842

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