As much of the Costa Rica returns to normal, many communities are still isolated, others without water, and destruction from last week’s rains continues to be tallied and dealt with.

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) today, Monday, October 9, updated the status of different parts of the country. Much of Guanacaste and Puntarenas, on the country’s Pacific side, remain under red alert, or maximum emergency alert, and others have returned to low or no alert as rains have returned to normal rainy season levels.

A red alert state remains in effect in the following 28 counties, according to the CNE, meaning also that public schools remain closed in these areas.

-Cartago: El Guarco

–Guanacaste: Abangares, Bagaces, Cañas, Carrillo, Hojancha, La Cruz, Liberia, Nandayure, Nicoya, Santa Cruz and Tilarán

-Puntarenas: Quepos, Buenos Aires, Corredores, Coto Brus, Garabito, Golfito, Montes de Oro, Parrita, Puntarenas

-San Jose: Acosta, Aserri, Dota, Leon Cortés, Perez Zeledón, Puriscal and Tarrazú.

The red alert calls for local, regional and national response mechanisms so that people affected by an emergency or, in this case, a natural disaster, get access to resources, relief supplies, search and rescue operations, and are reconnected via roads, basic services, infrastructure, housing and public buildings.

The medium state of alert, or yellow alert, is a precautionary state in which emergency mechanisms are on stand-by and prepared to assist, and involves heightened surveillance and monitoring for potential problems.

A yellow alert is currently in effect in the following areas:

-Cartago: Cartago center

-San José: Desamparados

Lastly, the lowest level, or green alert, is issued when authorities foresee a phenomenon that could affect or endanger a community. Under this state, there is increased communication and information to the population, and also monitoring of weather or other menace.

A green alert was declared in the following sectors:

-Alajuela: Alajuela, Atenas, Grecia, Naranjo, Orotina, Poás, Palmares, San Mateo, San Ramón, Valverde Vega and Zarcero

-San Jose: Alajuelita, Curridabat, Escazú, Goicoechea, Montes de Oca, Mora, Moravia, San José, Santa Ana, Tibás, Turrubares and Vásquez de Coronado

-Cartago: Alvarado, Jiménez, La Unión, Oreamuno and Turrialba

-Heredia: Barva, Belén, Flores, Heredia, San Isidro, San Pablo, San Rafael, Santa Barbara, Santo Domingo

-Puntarenas: Esparza

No alerts during or after Nate were issued along the country’s Atlantic coastal regions.

According to the latest report from the Costa Rican National Meteorological Institute (IMN), weather conditions should return to normal afternoon showers in the Pacific, Central Valley and the Northern Zones. Potential increased rain may occur this weekend. But meteorologists said another hurricane in the Atlantic, Orphelia, would pose no threat to Costa Rica due to its northerly position and path.