Tropical Storm Pilar Causes Deaths and National Emergency in El Salvador; Heavy Rain Expected Across Central America

Two fatalities reported as Pilar looms off Pacific Coast; El Salvador suspends classes and prepares emergency shelters, while other regions brace for potential flash flooding amidst forecasts of heavy rainfall.

• Tropical Storm Pilar has already led to two deaths in El Salvador due to heavy rainfall, with a 24-year-old man and 57-year-old woman swept away by swollen streams.
• El Salvador's government declared a national emergency in response to the storm, enabling civil defense authorities to mandate evacuations and allocate funds for emergency purposes.
• The storm is forecasted to meander off the Pacific coast for a day or two, stay in position for a while then retreat back into the sea without making landfall.
• Significant rainfall is expected across Central America with estimates ranging from five to ten inches, potentially spiking to 15 inches in some areas.
• Classes have been suspended countrywide in El Salvador until Wednesday, and preparations for about 100 shelters have been made in anticipation of the storm's potential impact.

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