Hurricane Nate

Coinciding with an unusually extreme rainy season as well as strong confluence of the Pacific and Atlantic trade winds,[23][24] Nate and its precursor brought days of torrential rain to the already satured soils of Central America throughout the first week of October 2017.[23][25] Emergency agencies and governments issued various weather alerts for their respective countries, with the Caribbean shores of Nicaragua and Honduras placed under a tropical storm warning when a strengthening Nate approached land. Schools and public offices were closed as storm shelters were prepared. In addition, Nate led to the cancellation of a FIFA World Cup qualification match between Costa Rica and Honduras scheduled for October 6 at Estadio Nacional in San José.[26]

Still battling the preceding flooding, the entire region once again faced life-threatening situations as Nate's rains triggered mudslides and filled already rising rivers and streams to critical levels by October 5. Floods and mudslides were widespread, with Costa Rica and Nicaragua enduring the worst and deadliest impacts.[25][27] As of October 11, the deluge had left 43 dead and nine missing across Central America, as well as causing serious structural damage.

During its formative stages, the precursor disturbance interacted with the monsoon trough to produce widespread cloudiness over Panama in the first week of October. Flooding rains fell over much of the Talamanca and Central mountain ranges, including the west-central provinces of Chiriquí, Ngäbe-Buglé, Veraguas, Panamá Oeste, Bocas del Toro, and Coclé, as well as Colón and Guna Yala along the Atlantic coast.[28] On October 3, Panamanian officials issued an alert for heavy rain with strong gusts and urged residents on the riverbanks of Río de Jesús to evacuate.[29] In Ngäbe-Buglé, a landslide killed six people.[21] Squally rains downed trees, damaged roofs, and flooded homes throughout Veraguas and Chiriqui;[30] in the latter province, 150 homes in Puerto Armuelles were affected,[31] and two people required rescue from the cascading waters of a river in the San Lorenzo District. Trees fell onto roads and homes in Panamá Oeste, Panamá Este, San Miguelito and Herrera, causing light damage.[32] A few landslides impacted the roads in those regions, leaving some impassable and obstructing an important traffic junction in Viguí.[27][30] Blustery conditions associated with Nate affected 4,975 people throughout Panama and damaged or destroyed 84 houses.[30][33] One person died in a shipwreck in Panama Bay.[20]

Tropical Storm Nate over Nicaragua on October 5

The Caribbean shores of Nicaragua were placed under alert as the precursor disturbance thrived, interacting with surrounding low pressures to produce widespread rainfall as early as October 3.[34][35] Upon Nate's formation, a tropical storm warning was issued for the coast.[36] Widespread flooding damaged or destroyed 5,953 homes, the vast majority in the Rivas Department,[27] directly affecting approximately 29,000 people. At least 16 people died throughout Nicaragua while 1 other person was reported missing as of October 8. The term "Nate Effect" has been coined to describe a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean, that causes major damages on the Pacific side of the country, but the term is not recognize by the national authority.

At the risk of flooding rains, Costa Rica's Central Valley, Pacific coast, and Huetar Norte region were placed under red alert for at least 3 days, starting on October 4, while a yellow alert was issued for the Caribbean coast.[37] The greatest quantities, reaching 19.19 inches (487 mm), fell in Maritima;[5] many other central Pacific locales, such as Quepos, recorded over 4.7 inches (120 mm) that day. In contrast, the capital of San José received no more than 1.4 inches (36 mm).[38] In the canton of Oreamuno, Cartago Province, a bridge and part of a riverside house succumbed to the forces of a river, swollen from the initial rains on October 3.[39] By October 5, the situation culminated: muddy waters surged through streets, neighborhoods, and even homes—some submerged to their roofs—as an increasing number of rivers burst their banks.[27][40] About 800 residents living in risk zones had to be rescued,[40] including 200 in Palmar Norte when the overflowing Térraba River swept away houses and belongings.[41] The storm cut off drinking water to nearly 500,000 people, and left 18,500 without power.[27] Torrents, landslides, and fallen trees—particularly in the provinces of Cartago, Puntarenas, Guanacaste, Alajuela, and San José—claimed the lives of 14 people,[17] and forced 11,300 into 170 shelters across Costa Rica.[16][42] The flooding was the worst to hit the country in recent years, leading to the "biggest crisis in Costa Rican history" according to President Luis Guillermo Solís. In response, Solís declared a state of emergency for the entire country on October 6, as well as a national day of mourning.[27][43]

The country's infrastructure, especially the road networks in southern regions, sustained tremendous damage from expansive flooding, landslides and subsidence; 117 roads throughout all provinces but Limón were affected in some way or form, 40 of which were rendered impassable.[44][45] Spanning 413 mi (665 km) through Costa Rica, the Inter-American Highway suffered various degrees of damage at 112 different sites, ranging from superficial cracks and potholes, to total structural failures.[44] At least 42 bridges collapsed, many waterways and drainage systems were overwhelmed, and a number of routes were practically "wiped out", isolating villages and leading to widespread disruptions in the transport sector.[27][45] Many petrospheres at the World Heritage archaeological site of Palmar Sur were covered with up to 12 inches (30 cm) of mud.[46] The infrastructural costs across the country exceeded ₡10 billion (US$17.5 million), with repairs expected to take years.[47] With over 306,000 acres (124,000 hectares) of arable land damaged, the agricultural sector reported significant losses. Among the hardest hit crops were sugarcane, vegetables, grains, melons and papayas, especially in the Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Central Valley regions.[48] In Guanacaste, the storm converted pastures and sugarcane fields into ponds and washed out 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) of rice.[49] Material damage from Nate across Costa Rica is estimated at ₡106 billion (US$185 million).[45] Total damage caused by the hurricane in Costa Rica was estimated at ₡309 billion (US$562 million),[5] making it the costliest natural disaster in Costa Rican history.[50]

Rainbow infrared satellite loop of Nate passing the Yucatán Channel on October 6

At least three people were killed and three others were reported missing across Honduras,[20] including one in Tierra Blanca.[51] One person was also killed in El Salvador.[18]

Heavy rains and strong winds impacted portions of western Cuba, particularly Pinar del Río Province. Rainfall reached 4.04 in (102.7 mm) in San Juan y Martínez, bringing local reservoirs to near-capacity. Some flooding affected homes in the province, but overall damage was limited. Winds up to 56 mph (90 km/h) disrupted electrical service in Cabo San Antonio.[52]

A washed out road in Jackson County, Mississippi.

The local officials in Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi declared states of emergency or also evacuation orders.[1] In preparation for Nate, officials in Grand Isle, Louisiana, declared a voluntary evacuation.[53] New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu met with local, state, and federal officials to discuss preparation measures as the city continued to experience critical deficiencies in its drainage system from two months prior. Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for 29 counties in the northern portion of the state.[54] Offshore, oil and gas companies began evacuating production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Six platforms had been cleared by midday on October 5, and a movable rig was moved out of the storm's path.[55] Aircraft of the Air Force Reserve Command's 403d Wing were evacuated from Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, as a precautionary measure.[56] The military also prepared the amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima and transport dock New York to assist with search-and-rescue and recovery effort.[57]

Rain-slicked roads may have been a factor in a fatal accident along I-24 in Tennessee.[58] A firefighter was struck and killed by a car while cleaning up storm debris in Morganton, North Carolina.[59] Total damage reached $22.3 million, primarily in southwestern Alabama.[22]