However, all reports indicate that the greatest damage occurred in Usulutan, where many areas were completely flattened. To top this off, there is a low-pressure front now over El Salvador, and it has begun to rain. According to international aid agencies, the reconstruction that took place in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch has basically been destroyed. The flood walls that were built in the Lower Rio Lempa zone were badly damaged, among other things. In addition to the thousands of people that have been evacuated from their homes, many Salvadorans continue to sleep in makeshift tents on city streets while other families continue to sleep in garages, patios, and near the front door to facilitate a quick escape in case of another quake.
Tensions ride high in El Salvador, and no one is immune.
Images from the disaster flood the TV screen 24 hours a day. Family members make desperate calls over the radio for lost family and friends. National newspapers devote all of their coverage to the disaster, with picture after picture of dead bodies, grieving families, and destroyed homes and lives. Even driving by Santa Tecla and other communities with high fatalities one is overcome with the smell of decomposing bodies. In response, many government agencies and private business remain closed.