Tropical cyclones are one of the most important causes of disasters in Central America. Using historical (1970–2010) tracks of cyclones in the Caribbean and Pacific basin, we identify critical path locations where these low-pressure systems cause the highest number of floods in a set of 88 precipitation stations in the region. Results show that tropical cyclones from the Caribbean and Pacific basin produce a large number of indirect impacts on the Pacific slope of the Central American isthmus. Although the direct impact of a tropical cyclone usually results in devastation in the affected region, the indirect effects are more common and sometimes equally severe. In fact, the storm does not need to be an intense hurricane to cause considerable impacts and damage. The location of even a lower intensity storm in critical positions of the oceanic basin can result in destructive indirect impacts in Central America. The identification of critical positions can be used for emergency agencies in the region to issue alerts of possible flooding and catastrophic events.

中文翻译：

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确定中美洲与极端降水事件有关的热带气旋的关键位置

热带气旋是中美洲灾难的最重要原因之一。利用加勒比海和太平洋海盆的历史（1970-2010年）气旋轨迹，我们确定了关键的路径位置，这些低压系统在该地区的88个降水站中造成了最多的洪水。结果表明，来自加勒比海和太平洋盆地的热带气旋对中美洲地峡的太平洋斜坡产生了许多间接影响。尽管热带气旋的直接影响通常会在受灾地区造成破坏，但间接影响更为普遍，有时同样严重。实际上，风暴不必是强烈的飓风就可以造成可观的影响和破坏。在海盆关键位置甚至更低强度的风暴也可能对中美洲造成破坏性的间接影响。关键位置的识别可用于该地区的应急机构，以发出可能的洪水和灾难性事件的警报。