The remnants of Tropical Storm Agatha dumped more rain on Guatemala and El Salvador after killing at least 16 people in the region.
Rescue workers scrambled to restore communications to towns and villages cut off by landslides when Agatha, the first named storm of the 2010 Pacific hurricane season, hit the Guatemalan coast near the border with Mexico yesterday.
The storm dissipated overnight as it crossed the western mountains of Guatemala but emergency workers warned residents to expect heavy rain for several more days.
Rivers swollen by torrential rains burst their banks and mudslides buried homes in towns and cities alike. The intense rainfall has sparked concern over the state of the coffee crop in Guatemala, the region's biggest producer.
Guatemalan authorities reported 13 people confirmed dead and at least 24 missing. More than 74,000 people were forced to flee their homes.
Three people were killed in neighbouring El Salvador and 5,000 were in shelters, emergency officials said.
Guatemalan officials warned the flooding from the storm could be worsened by ash spewing out of the Pacaya volcano south of the capital that has blocked drainage systems.
The volcano, which erupted on Thursday, had already closed the country's main international airport and aviation officials do not expect to finish cleaning ash and debris off the tarmac until at least Tuesday.
