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AP communication
Mexico City (AP) — Tropical Cyclone Bonnie rushes to Nicaragua, threatening floods with heavy rains and heading for the potential high-speed crossings and hurricane enhancements on the way to the Pacific Ocean.
Bonnie landed on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua about 75 miles (120 km) south of Bluefields late Friday, the National Hurricane Center said. Forecasters warned of the dangers of serious floods, including rains of up to 8 inches (about 20 centimeters) and even rain in isolated areas.
The storm was sustained at a maximum wind speed of 50 mph (85 kph) at landing and moved west at 16 mph (26 kph) per hour. Of Costa Rica during the night. It was predicted that it would move to the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, then begin to gain power and reach hurricane forces by Monday.
Bluefields officials said they had set up 50 temporary housing before the storm and many of the 57,000 inhabitants had planks nailed to the windows.
Many Nicaraguans still remember Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Joan's 1988 storm caused havoc on the coast, killing nearly 150 people in the country.
"We are waiting for the storm to strike. We hope our area will not be destroyed," said Joan, who was eight years old in Bluefields. Ricardo Gomes said before Bonnie arrived.
The area was hit in succession in 2020 by two powerful hurricanes, Eta and Jota, causing an estimated $ 700 million in damage.
Costa Rican officials have expressed concern that the storm will unleash landslides and floods in areas already saturated with rain for several days. The government said seven shelters in the northern part of the country already housed nearly 700 people evacuated by the floods.
A week ago, a major landslide broke the arterial road between the capital San Jose and the Caribbean coast and remained closed on Friday. The government canceled classes nationwide on Friday.
Early heavy rains also destroyed or damaged many bridges.
A fast-moving turbulence began to soak parts of the Caribbean region on Monday, but did not meet the standards for named tropical cyclones until Friday.
