Intense rainstorms for five consecutive days as a tropical depression swept over Central America has left four people dead, three missing, numerous villages flooded and thousands evacuated to safety, officials reported Thursday.
The storms left two dead in Costa Rica, one dead and two missing in Guatemala, and one dead in Honduras. Some 15,000 people have moved into shelters throughout the region.
Central American governments issued warnings and mobilized emergency services, as weather forecasts indicated the rainfall will continue for another 36 hours in some areas.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Tropical Depression 16 was dissipating late Thursday.
The NHC warned the rain, up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) in isolated areas, could still "trigger life-threatening flash floods and mud slides."
