El Salvador is an earthquake-prone country. Flooding and landslides during the rainy season (June to November) also pose a risk. On October 4, 2005, the Government of El Salvador declared a nation-wide state of emergency following major flooding caused by a series of storms. More than 50 deaths were confirmed as attributed to landslides and flooding at that time and over 34,000 residents were evacuated to temporary shelter. The Ilamatepec Volcano, located approximately 50 kilometers west of San Salvador, erupted briefly on October 1, 2005, casting rocks and volcanic ash onto neighboring regions and producing two confirmed deaths. General information about natural disaster preparedness is available via the Internet from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at http://www.fema.gov/.

An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale devastated much of El Salvador on January 13, 2001. A second earthquake on February 13, 2001, measured 6.6 on the Richter scale, and caused significant additional damage and loss of life. Reconstruction efforts continue and the country is returning to normal. Additional information in Spanish about earthquakes (sismos) in El Salvador can be found on the Government of El Salvador’s web page at http://www.snet.gob.sv/.