Tropical Storm Sara was a slow-moving

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

that caused severe flooding in northern

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

in November 2024. The eighteenth

named storm Tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones are named by various warning centers to simplify communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings. The names are intended to reduce confusion in the ...

of the

2024 Atlantic hurricane season The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season was a very active and extremely destructive Atlantic hurricane season that became the third-costliest on record, behind only 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, 2017 and 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, 2005. The ...

, Sara developed from a disturbance over the central

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...

associated with a

tropical wave A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...

. It consolidated into a tropical depression early on November 14, and strengthened into Tropical Storm Sara later that same day. The next day, the storm made landfall in Punta Patuca

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

and slowly moved parallel through the northern coast. Later, on the morning of November 17, Sara made a second

landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...

near

Dangriga Dangriga, formerly known as Stann Creek Town, is a town in southern Belize, located on the Caribbean Sea, Caribbean coast at the mouth of the North Stann Creek River. It is the capital of Belize's Stann Creek District. Dangriga is served by the ...

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

. Inland, the storm weakened into a tropical depression, then degenerated into a remnant low while over

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Yucatán Peninsula The Yucatán Peninsula ( , ; ) is a large peninsula in southeast Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north and west of the peninsula from the C ...

. Overall, Sara killed 12 people, caused two people to go missing, and inflicted approximately US$139 million in damage.

Meteorological history

On November 11, an area of low-pressure merged with a

over the southwest

. The system moved generally westward toward

into the next day, and the

National Hurricane Center The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the IERS Reference Meridian, Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian ...

(NHC) noted the high possibility of further organization due to favorable environmental conditions. Due to the system becoming expected to produce tropical storm or hurricane conditions, the NHC, with the Honduran and Nicaraguan governments, designated the system as a

potential tropical cyclone The following is a glossary of tropical cyclone terms. A ;Advisory: Official information issued by tropical cyclone warning centers describing all tropical cyclone watches and warnings in effect along with details concerning tropical cyclone loc ...

and issued the respective watches and warnings on November 13. The system progressed westward, increasing in organization. By 06:00 UTC November 14, the system had a well-defined core, becoming designated as Tropical Depression Nineteen. Data from

Hurricane Hunters Hurricane hunters, typhoon hunters, or cyclone hunters are aircrews that fly into tropical cyclones to gather weather data. In the United States, the organizations that fly these missions are the United States Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather ...

indicated that the system had become a tropical storm, Sara, by 12:00 UTC November 14. Being steered by a large

ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...

in the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...

, Sara continued moving westward. It also continued to intensify over the warm Caribbean Sea. Sara made its first landfall near Punta Patuca, Honduras, at 01:20 UTC on November 15 with winds. Sara would then pull off of Honduras, reforming its core in the process. It would reach a peak strength of at 12:00 UTC on November 15. Sara began moving westward before falling stationary over the Bay Islands on November 16. Later that day, it moved away from the Bay Islands into the

Gulf of Honduras The Gulf of Honduras or the Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. From north to south, it runs for approximately 200 km (125 miles) from Dangriga, Belize, to La Cei ...

. Despite having stayed offshore, Sara remained a weak tropical storm with winds of due to the interaction between its broader circulation and the mountainous terrain of northern Honduras, and was struggling to produce deep convection and began degrading. Sara made

in Belize at around 14:00 UTC on November 17, near

, with sustained winds of . Just before landfall, the storm underwent a burst of convection near the center, with bursting deep convection and lightning flashes. Subsequent land interaction caused Sara to weaken. Its low level circulation dissipated on the

Guatemala–Mexico border The international border between Guatemala and Mexico measures . It runs between north and west Guatemala (the Guatemalan departments of San Marcos Department, San Marcos, Huehuetenango Department, Huehuetenango, Quiché Department, El Quiché a ...

on November 18. Upper-level remnants of Sara moved into the

Bay of Campeche The Bay of Campeche (), or Campeche Sound, is a bight in the southern area of the Gulf of Mexico, forming the north side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexican states of Campeche, Tabasco and Veracruz. The ...

where it would then merge with a frontal system over the

Southeast United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and the southern portion of the Eastern Uni ...

Preparations

On November 13, the governments of Honduras and

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

issued

hurricane watch Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local pop ...

es and tropical storm warnings for the northeastern coast of Honduras from Punta Castilla to the

Honduras–Nicaragua border The Honduras–Nicaragua border is the roughly international boundary between Honduras and Nicaragua, running from the Gulf of Fonseca on the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. The Coco River, which flows generally northeast to the Caribbean, ...

and the northeastern coast of Nicaragua from the Honduras–Nicaragua border to

Puerto Cabezas Puerto Cabezas (; also known as Bragman's Bluff in English language, English, or Bilwi in Miskito language, Miskito) is a municipality and city in Nicaragua. It is the capital of Miskito people, Miskito nation in the North Caribbean Coast Autonom ...

, respectively.

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

's Caribbean and Belize's entire coast was placed under a tropical storm warning on November 15. Additionally, the government of Mexico issued a tropical storm warning for the

Quintana Roo Quintana Roo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 administrative divisions of Mexico, federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into municipalities of ...

coast from Puerto

Costa Maya Costa Maya is a small tourist region in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, the only state bounded by the Caribbean Sea to its east. This municipality is close to Chetumal (capital of the state) on the bor ...

southward to

Chetumal Chetumal (, , ; , ) is a city on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. It is the capital of the List of states of Mexico, state of Quintana Roo and the municipal seat of the Othón P. Blanco, Quintana Roo, Municipality of Othón ...

. The Eastern Slopes of the

Maya Mountains The Maya Mountains are a mountain range located in Belize and eastern Guatemala, in Central America. Etymology The Maya Mountains were known as the ''Cockscomb'' or ''Coxcomb Mountains'' to Baymen and later Belizeans at least until the mid ...

were placed under landslide warning.

President of Honduras The president of Honduras (), officially known as the President of the Republic of Honduras (), is the head of state and head of government of Honduras, and the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. According to the 1982 Constitution of H ...

Xiomara Castro Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento (; born 30 September 1959), also known as Xiomara Castro de Zelaya, is a Honduran politician and businesswoman who has served as the 39th president of Honduras since 2022. She is the country's first List of elected ...

declared a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...

for the nation. Six departments in Honduras were placed under red warning and four under yellow. Golosón and

Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport () is an international airport located on the island of Roatán, in the Caribbean Sea off the northern coast of Honduras. from DAFIF (effective October 2006) Roatán is in the Bay Islands Department o ...

s in Honduras were closed.

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

and

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois that operates an extensive domestic and international route network across the United States and six ...

waived some fees related to flight rescheduling. Over 8,000 Hondurans moved to shelters and 15,000 evacuated as a result of Sara. The government of Belize's National Emergency Management Organization activated its district committees. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology canceled classes for November 18.

Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport is an airport that serves the nation of Belize's largest city, Belize City along the eastern coast of Central America. It was named after politician Philip Goldson, Philip S. W. Goldson, who died in ...

was closed. From Middle Caye, 650 people left for the mainland. Public transportation in

San Pedro Town San Pedro is a town on the southern part of the island of Ambergris Caye in the Belize District of the nation of Belize, in Central America. According to the 2024 mid-year estimates, the town has a population of about 20,000. It is the second-la ...

was suspended. In Mexico, the government rushed to repair buildings that lost their roofs due to strong winds earlier in the week.

Impact

Hispanola

The nascent disturbance caused flooding in the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

, resulting in the evacuation of 1,767 people, isolating 54 communities, destroying two homes and damaging 487 more. Two fishermen were left missing and were later found dead near

Sabana de la Mar Sabana de la Mar, usually spelled in English as Savana de la Mar, is a town in the Hato Mayor Province, Hato Mayor Provinces of the Dominican Republic, province of the Dominican Republic. Sabana de la Mar is located in the northeastern region of D ...

. Floods also affected southern

Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

, killing one person, leaving two missing and damaging 3,554 houses in Sud Department.

Central America

Two people were killed in Nicaragua; one in San Francisco de Cuapa and another in

Estelí Estelí (), officially Villa de San Antonio de Pavia de Estelí is a city and Municipalities of Nicaragua, municipality within the Estelí Department, Estelí department. It is the 8th largest city in Nicaragua due to the high urbanization of its ...

. Over 1,800 houses and six schools were flooded, of which three were destroyed, affecting 5,000 people. Over 251 communities were isolated in Honduras. Some areas in the nation saw of rain. Nine bridges were destroyed due to Sara, and many more were damaged. Saopin bridge in

La Ceiba La Ceiba () is a municipality, the capital of the Honduran department of Atlántida (department), Atlántida, and a port city on the northern Caribbean coast in Honduras. It forms part of the southeastern boundary of the Gulf of Honduras. With ...

collapsed due to flooding in the Cangrejal River. A pedestrian bridge on the

Bermejo River The Bermejo River ( Spanish, Río Bermejo) is a river in South America that flows from Bolivia to the Paraguay River in Argentina. The river is generally called Bermejo in spite of its different names along its way, but it also has its own Nati ...

collapsed in

San Pedro Sula San Pedro Sula () is the capital of Cortés Department, Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country in the Sula Valley, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean Sea. With a population of 701, ...

. In total, eleven bridges were destroyed and 31 damaged as a result of Sara. The Ulúa and Chamelecón Rivers swelled up, approaching populated areas. Three people were rescued in

Gracias a Dios Department Gracias a Dios (; "Thanks to God" or "Thank God") is one of the 18 departments (''departamentos'') into which Honduras is divided. The departmental capital is Puerto Lempira; until 1975 it was Brus Laguna. Etymology The department is named in ...

. A man drowned in the department of

Yoro Yoro, with a population of 101,849 (2022 calculation), is the capital city of the Yoro Department of Honduras and the municipal seat of Yoro Municipality. It is notable for a local event known as Lluvia de Peces, where it is claimed that strong ...

. A traffic accident occurred in Santa Cruz de Yojoa, killing another person. Across the country, 427 houses were destroyed and 4,440 others were damaged. Over 2,000 rescues were made in the nation. In total, six people were killed as a result of drowning, and one person were declared missing. Damage in agriculture and infrastructure amounted to 3.49 billion

lempiras The lempira (, sign: L, ISO 4217 code: HNL;) is the currency of Honduras. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. Etymology The lempira was named after the 16th-century ''cacique'' Lempira (Lenca ruler), Lempira, a ruler of the indigenous peoples ...

(US$139 million). In Belize,

Ambergris Caye Ambergris Caye ( ; Spanish: Cayo Ambergris), is the largest island of Belize, located northeast of the country's mainland, in the Caribbean Sea. It is about long from north to south, and about wide. Many parts of the island have been modified ...

saw flooding and

beach erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landward r ...

due to Sara. Downtown

San Ignacio San Ignacio (the Spanish language name of St. Ignatius (disambiguation), St. Ignatius) is a common toponym in parts of the world where that language is or was spoken: Argentina * San Ignacio, Argentina, Misiones Province * San Ignacio Miní, a ...

was inundated. Communities along the Mopan and Macal Rivers were acutely affected by Sara. Dams began to overflow as well. Celebrations related to

Garifuna Settlement Day Garifuna Settlement Day is a public holiday in Belize, celebrated each year on November 19. The holiday was created by Belizean civil rights activist Thomas Vincent Ramos in 1941. It was recognized as a public holiday in the southern districts o ...

were disrupted by Sara. Over 1,000 homes were flooded in

as a result of 25 rivers overflowing. Access to

potable water Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also calle ...

was disrupted across the country as well. Flooding also caused agricultural damage in

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

Mexico

In Chetumal, Sara caused major flooding and damage. Strong winds tore roofs off of houses, some of which had been reinstalled by trucks prior to the storm's arrival. Garbage along the streets of Chetumal was piled up due to flooding as the sewers overflowed.

References

External links

* * The National Hurricane Center'
advisory archive
on Tropical Storm Sara {{DEFAULTSORT:Sara 2024 Atlantic hurricane season Hurricanes in Belize Hurricanes in Honduras Atlantic hurricanes in Mexico