Flooding and landslides from Tropical Storm Stan have now killed over 250 people in Guatemala.  At least two towns have completely vanished under mudslides.  While it is relatively easy to locate updates on the situation via the Internet, television coverage in the U.S. has been almost nonexistent. In fact, as I was getting ready for work this morning I had the morning news on for a while and the only mention of Guatemala was in a spot about who got kicked off  "Survivor: Guatemala" last night.  Maybe I missed the real news.

A report from The Miami Herald.com explains the urgency of the desperate situation in Central America:
More than 24,000 people from 270 communities took refuge in shelters throughout Guatemala, but were suffering from cold and a lack of food and water, according to Guatemalan radio reports.

Quetzaltenango residents reported a similarly critical situation.

"It was complicated arriving with new shipments of food" because of the bad weather, said Agriculture Minister Alvaro Aguilar. "Today, we are making an effort" to reach the areas by air.

In El Salvador rescuers also stepped up aid flights and flyovers as the sun emerged from behind the clouds. Authorities were on alert for new landslides and more flooded rivers. Officials said nearly 54,000 people had been evacuated to 370 shelters throughout the country, while nearly 80 percent of the country's roadways had been affected by the rains.

"The rain stopped, rays of sun have begun to warm the country, but the danger continues," said Salvadoran Red Cross spokesman Carlos López Mendoza. "The ground is saturated and we could have more tragedies." (full article)

Topix.net features a dedicated page of news reports on Guatemala with extensive coverage of the damage caused by Tropical Storm Stan.
Further Reading:  A rush, a roar and two villages are gone (CNN.com)