Panama Update: The Bridge

By Reverend Rhett Thompson
United Methodist Missionary, Panama

March 2012
 
After several days of torrential tropical downpours, the whole side of a mountain slid downhill and crashed into the San Juan River, just above the bridge connecting Cienaguita and Potrero de Palma. The mass of dirt, rock and trees created a dam behind which a huge volume of water began to accumulate. After a couple of days, the force of the water finally broke through the natural dam and a massive wall of water and debris roared downriver. One of the gigantic trees carried by the flood became entangled in the cables of the bridge and finally pulled down the tower on the upper bank of the river and even uprooted and dragged the other tower into the middle of the river. Read more (PDF).