The National Emergency Commission announced construction has started on projects to repair damage caused by last October's heavy rains. The rains resulted in mudslides that killed 18, left 3,100 without homes and caused an estimated $130 million in damage to the country's roads, bridges and dikes.

Authorities said even though they are short about $24 million to complete all the needed projects, they had already started spending the roughly $43 million raised by the government and donors, which includes about $20 million from China.

Commission President Daniel Gallardo said about $14 million is being spent to repair 136 bridges in all the country's provinces, with another $6 million dedicated to repairing over 350 kilometers of highway.

He also said more than $12 million was dedicated to dike repair in Corredores, Parrita, Filadelfia, Río Claro, Las Vegas, Caño Seco, Matina and Siquirres.

Under Gallardo's plan, there are also three stages of projects to construct housing for families whom the floods rendered homeless. The plan calls for spending about $15 million to build homes in Corredores, Golfito, Cañas, Aserrí, Desamparados, Cartago, Atenas, Matina, Aguirre de Puntarenas and Talamanca canton.

-Tico Times