According to Panamanian media reports, Panama began entering its rainy season in October, but this year's rainy season has been affected by Tropical Storm Rafael, bringing extremely heavy rainstorms and storms and other severe weather. The heavy rains have led to multiple landslides and floods, affecting several regions of Panama. The most severely affected are the four provinces of Chiriquí, Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos, where more than 500 people have been affected.

According to Panamanian authorities, several landslides have occurred in Jaramilo Centro in Chiriquí Province and in the La Virgencita and Renacimiento areas of Boquete, and rivers near these areas have risen due to the heavy rains, posing a risk of flooding. About 150 people have so far been evacuated from these areas.

According to the mayor of the Boquete district, because the Boquete area is mostly mountainous with ravines, excessive rainfall easily leads to accidents. At least 11 landslides triggered by heavy rain have occurred in the Boquete area, 3 of which were very serious. Some of the landslides caused water pipes to burst, affecting residents' drinking water and domestic water supply in some areas.

In addition, the landslides have damaged several roads, with some roads and one bridge having already collapsed. One of these roads is the Palmira Boquete highway, which is very important for transporting products in the Boquete area. Because it has been damaged, residents and product transport can currently only take detours, but this requires more time and cost.

It is reported that on November 6, the Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology of Panama (Imhpa) issued information stating that a tropical depression that formed over the Caribbean Sea north of Panama had strengthened into Tropical Storm Rafael, with wind speeds expected to reach 63 km per hour. As a result, Panama's civil defense system issued a red alert for 5 provincial-level areas.

By November 7, the tropical storm "Rafael" had left Panama and made landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane, but the storm continued to affect rainfall in Panama, with still relatively heavy rain. So far, the tropical storm has caused at least 5 deaths in Panama.

At present, the rain in Panama has begun to weaken, but it remains unstable, so heavy rain is still possible in the coming days, and because the land is loose, landslides and flooding may continue to occur. According to the local government, rainfall over these 10 days in November reached 320 mm, the highest November rainfall in recent years.

The area where this serious incident occurred is Boquete, Panama's main specialty coffee-producing region, home to many well-known coffee estates. Examples include Hacienda La Esmeralda, Duncan Estate and Elida Estate.

In addition, Panama's coffee harvest season runs from 12 to 3 of the following year, and excessive heavy rain will damage coffee trees in the fruiting stage, leading to a decline in coffee quality and yield. In addition, floods and landslides also damage roads and other infrastructure, affecting the transport of local supplies and coffee products.

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