A late-season tropical system swirling over the Caribbean Sea has become better organized and strengthened into Tropical Storm Sara on Thursday, and forecasters fear that the storm could unleash life-threatening and potentially catastrophic impacts in Central America,

Wading through waist-deep water, residents along the northern coast of Honduras trudged through the streets on Friday carrying their belongings and pets, as heavy rains from Tropical Storm Sara caused widespread flooding across the area.

SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras (AP) — Tropical Storm Sara scraped along northern Honduras’ Caribbean coast early Friday, dumping torrential rains across parts of Central America and southern Mexico after making an initial landfall overnight.