Tropical Storm Pilar
El Salvador has declared a State of National Emergency as the strengthening storm threatens the Pacific Coast of Central America with over a foot of rain, which could trigger mountain landslides.
"Coming up against the Pacific coast of Mexico, an oddball situation with Otis which turned into a deadly, destructive Category 5 at landfall," FOX Weather meteorologist Amy Freeze said. "And all of a sudden, we're watching Pilar under a microscope."
Tropical Storm Pilar is about 175 south-southwest of San Salvador, El Salvador, moving east-northeast at 3 mph. Maximum sustained winds are 50 mph and tropical-storm-force winds stretch out 70 miles.
A Tropical Storm Watch remains in effect for the entire Pacific coast of El Salvador and Honduras, including the Gulf of Fonseca. Nicaragua is included in the watch from the Honduran border south to Puerto Sandino.
The NHC forecasts Pilar strengthening to just shy of hurricane strength Tuesday at its closest approach to El Salvador, though the core of the system is expected to remain offshore. The storm is forecast to begin moving west-southwestward away from land by Thursday.
That stall will anchor heavy rains over the coast and mountains. NHC estimates that the storm will produce 5 to 10 inches of rain, with local amounts of up to 15 inches for portions of Central America from El Salvador to Costa Rica through Wednesday.
"This rainfall will produce flash and urban flooding, along with mudslides in areas of higher terrain," wrote the NHC.
By Wednesday, the storm will reverse course and head west-southwestward away from land and weaken slowly.
Dangerous swells will pound the coast for the next several days and trigger life-threatening surf and rip currents, according to the NHC.
Pilar is the sixteenth-named tropical cyclone in the Pacific.
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