The office of Guatemala's president handed out this aerial view of a crater that opened up after Agatha hit.
(CNN) -- At least 115 people have died after a tropical storm battered Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador over the weekend, officials in those countries reported.
Guatemala was hit hardest, with at least 92 deaths, 54 people missing and 59 injured, emergency officials said. Nearly 112,000 people have been evacuated and more than 29,000 are living in temporary shelters, Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom said in an address to the nation late Sunday.
The devastation has been widespread throughout Guatemala with mudslides destroying homes and buildings and burying some victims. At least nine rivers have dramatically higher levels and 13 bridges have collapsed, the nation's emergency services said.
Classes have been canceled this week throughout the nation.
In Honduras, where 14 people have died, President Porfirio Lobo declared a state of emergency Sunday.
Nearly 3,500 people have been evacuated from their homes and nearly 3,300 are living in shelters, the Honduran emergency agency said Monday. More than 140 homes have been destroyed and another 700 have been damaged, the Permanent Commission for Emergencies reported.
The situation in El Salvador, where nine people died, was improving Monday, officials said. The rain stopped Sunday afternoon and river levels were beginning to diminish, officials said. Classes nationwide remained canceled, however, until further notice.
More rain was possibly forecast for Monday, though, and Salvadoran officials said they were closely monitoring the situation.
Agatha was demoted from a tropical storm to a tropical depression Saturday night and lost its status as a depression Sunday evening.
It was the first named storm for the Pacific hurricane season. The Atlantic hurricane season starts Tuesday.
Posted by Andy-Laa (Member # 31511) on :
Wtf!?
Posted by bluetoelover (Member # 14736) on :
Photoshopped to fuck.
Posted by LeDaemon (Member # 198) on :
quote:Originally posted by bluetoelover: Photoshopped to fuck.
Ya think? I thought that too at first. Apparently thought this is not the first time its happened as in 2007 one opened up over there as well sucking down some homes.
Posted by temp1234 (Member # 33411) on :
It's not photoshopped. I saw a few of these when I studied geology. They're kinda strange aren't they? I remember my professor telling me how rare it is for nature to craft out such finely shaped things. I mean look how clear cut it is. You get these all over the world of all different sizes. I attended one in Russia some years ago that was around a metre wide, some people went down with climbing gear and it just lead to a cave system.
My local city had one in April last year right in the middle of the road. A bit bigger than the Russian one too.
Posted by Andy-Laa (Member # 31511) on :
So...how do they fill them in?
Posted by Flip flop fan (Member # 9565) on :
Grub holes man, haven't you played gears of war?
Seriously thought, they look like they're perfectly carved out. What's the explanation for how they are formed? Seismic activity? Plate tectonics?
Posted by temp1234 (Member # 33411) on :
We still don't know. FWIW it's the most cylindrical and cleanly cut sink hole ever.
Freaky huh.
Posted by Andy-Laa (Member # 31511) on :
quote:Originally posted by Flip flop fan: Seriously thought, they look like they're perfectly carved out. What's the explanation for how they are formed? Seismic activity? Plate tectonics?
I believe it's caused by "some serious shit".
Posted by sofatater (Member # 4209) on :
They've happened in that part of the world throughout history. Underground cave systems cris- cross the region. Torrential rains undermine the cave roof until it just "caves in". Base jumping spelunkers like 'em.
Posted by FootLongSub Zero (Member # 19380) on :
I'd like to see it in person. On a positive note, it maybe a tourist attraction gaining some revenue, t-shirts maybe etc..?. There'd be more than a hundred uses for a hole like that; sewage/illegal chemical/criminal evidence dumping, mass suicide, kick someone you don't like down there like spartans.... Posted by JKO12 (Member # 30609) on :
I call Guatemala make this a Spartan esque hole
Posted by Andy-Laa (Member # 31511) on :
"ir a Guatamala y llegar en Guatapeor"
=O!
Posted by combine_hunter (Member # 39526) on :
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Laugh]](graemlins/laugh.gif)
I guess that really is worse.