[NYTr] Hurricane Felix Threatens C. America; Nicaragua Prepares

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com


Hurricane Felix threatens Central America

Washington, Sep 3 (Prensa Latina) Hurricane Felix is plowing through
the western Caribbean, slightly weakened to a category four in the
five-degree Saffir-Simpson Scale, the US National Hurricane Center
reported at 2 PM Monday.

At that time the storm was at 14.2 degrees North Latitude and 78.7
degrees West Longitude, 250 miles east of Cape Gracias a Dios, on the
Nicaragua-Honduras border and moving at nearly 20 mph.

Felix heads west with sustained winds of 143 mph and is expected to
remain stable in the following 24 hours although gust winds may grow
stronger tonight.

Felix is the sixth storm and second hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean of
the current storm season that spans from June 1 to November 10 and
hints at a catastrophe for Central America.

Honduras' Permanent Contingency Commission declared a red alert for
Roatan, Utila and Guanaja islands where Felix was feared to rival
Mitch, which in 1998 left 15,000 dead and missing.

It also issued yellow alerts for Gracias a Dios, Colon, Atlantida,
Olancho, Cortes and Yoro Departments, while Nicaragua evacuated 10,000
persons from its Caribbean coast.

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Nicaragua Prepares for Hurricane Felix

Managua, Sep 3 (Prensa Latina) Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega
appealed to the Caribbean Coast population to remain calm to confront
the imminent arrival of the powerful storm Felix, and he guaranteed
government support to those affected by the hurricane.

In statements by phone to La Nueva Radio Ya from Panama, Ortega said he
is in contact with Col. Ramon Arnesto Soza, SINAPRED director (National
System for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Assistance), to begin
evacuation of the population.

Ortega also ordered Treasury and Public Credit Minister Alberto Guevara
to arrange the necessary resources for shelters with food and
provisions.

First Lady Rosario Murillo informed that the president will be in
Nicaragua this afternoon to take charge of the tasks to face the now
category 5 (Saffir-Simpson) hurricane.

SINAPRED has issued a yellow alert for the North Atlantic autonomous
region (RAAN) and a green alert for the rest of the Central American
country.

This morning Hurricane Felix, with sustained 161 mph winds, was 363
miles east of Cape Gracias a Dios, northeast limit of Nicaragua on the
frontier with Honduras, and could hit Rio Coco and other RAAN
communities tomorrow.

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