Tropical Storm Sara floods communities in Honduras

Tropical Storm Sara made landfall in Honduras last week, leaving a path of devastation in communities served by Unbound. The storm created severe flooding and dangerous landslides causing poor connectivity, unstable electricity, and road, path and trail closures leaving many families essentially isolated.

The storm hit land on Nov. 14 near the Honduras-Nicaragua border. Flooding caused by a combination of rainwater and rising river waters created impassable roads and mudslides, causing many homes to be flooded and some to be destroyed.

Josué Sermeño, Unbound’s regional reporter in El Salvador, has been in close contact with Unbound staff member Natanael Mendoza in Honduras to gain a clearer picture of the damage that Tropical Storm Sara has left in its wake.

While news reports say Sara has caused at least one fatality in Honduras, Unbound has not received any reports of severe injuries or deaths to date in the communities it serves. However, more than 350 Unbound families have been impacted, and at least four of those have lost their homes entirely because of the storm.

Statement from Unbound's president and CEO

Ashley Hufft, president and CEO of Unbound, issued the following statement following Tropical Storm Sara:

“As the remnants of Tropical Storm Sara continue to bring rain, flooding and potential landslides to multiple regions in Central America, we are seeing firsthand the devastation left in the storm’s path. Our teams in Honduras are already responding, working tirelessly to support the many families served by Unbound who are experiencing flooded homes, loss of communication and, in some cases, complete isolation due to landslides and extreme flooding.

“Road closures, unstable electricity and poor connectivity are compounding the dangerous conditions. Unbound is committed to ensuring our families and communities can meet their immediate needs and we will be there for the long haul as these communities rebuild what has been damaged or lost in the storm. Of course, we will continue to pray for all our sponsored friends and their families while we keep our greater Unbound community informed.”

How to help families affected by disasters

As reports continue to come in from the field and Unbound assesses the extent of families’ needs, here are steps sponsors and others can take now to help.

• • Make sure your contact information is current. In times of natural disaster, Unbound notifies sponsors personally if we learn that their sponsored friends have been injured or otherwise seriously impacted.


• • Pray. The Unbound community is keeping all those affected and those assisting with relief efforts in our prayers.


• • Donate to the Critical Needs Fund. The fund assists families in the aftermath of events such as floods, severe storms, earthquakes and fires.

Regional reporter Josué Sermeño, Unbound Honduras staff members Natanael Mendoza and Luis Angel Chavarria, along with families of sponsored friends contributed information and photos for this story.