Tropical storm Julia turned into a hurricane on Saturday evening as it passed the Colombian island San Andres and headed toward the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km). Julia made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane around Laguna de Perlas, Nicaragua, at 3:15 a.m. local time Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Central American countries initiated emergency alerts ahead of Julia’s arrival, just one week after Hurricane Ian pummeled Cuba and Florida.

The inclement weather could trigger localized business, transport, and utility disruptions, rendering some bridges or roadways impassable. Flight disruptions at regional airports and temporary closures of ports are also possible.
As the storm approached San Andres Island east of Nicaragua, Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared a “maximum alert” there as well as Providencia island to the north and asked hotels to prepare space to shelter the vulnerable population. Officials on San Andres imposed a curfew to limit people in the streets. Flights to the islands were suspended.

Activate contingency plans in areas where officials forecast typhoon or tropical storm conditions. Seek updated information on road conditions before driving or routing shipments through areas where flooding has occurred. Confirm flights before checking out of hotels or driving to the airport.