A DEADLY TROPICAL STORM

Written by: Bob Metcalfe

The first tropical storm of the year in the Pacific basin, TS Agatha, isn't messing around. It doesn't always take cat. 3 winds to cause major problems and take lives, as she's proving so far.

Guatemala has been hit hardest, as you can see the wind speeds are peaked along their Pacific coastline. Areas have received over 4 inches of rain over a very short period of time. This has also coupled with a volcanic eruption happening just days ago causing deadly landslides. As of this writing, at least 17 lives have been lost due to this deadly combo.

It goes to show you that unprepared areas or weakened infrastructure can make areas very vulnerable to even something as "weak" as a tropical storm. We've yet to see the Atlantic pose any threats thus far, but the official start of hurricane season isn't until June 1. As you know, it's expected to be a busy season in the tropical Atlantic.