When Hurricane Otto made landfall last month on the eastern coast of Central America, the Category 2 storm struck Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua with winds reaching 105 miles per hour. The first hurricane on record to strike Costa Rica, Otto claimed 23 lives, mostly in Costa Rica, and took a toll on some of the region’s most ecologically sensitive areas. As December drew to a close the full extent of the damage had not been confirmed, but Costa Rica and Nicaragua both had reported environmental damage. In Costa Rica, Tenorio Volcano National Park and Rincón de la Vieja National Park were closed due to severe landslides and downed trees. But most such damage occurred outside of protected areas, where flooding and winds damaged large... [Log in to read more]
