Hurricanes batter Central America

Tegucigalpa, Honduras

For the first time in at least half a century, Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes this week made landfall on the same day, killing dozens of people and causing widespread flooding and property damage. The Atlantic hurricane, Felix, made landfall in Nicaragua on Sept. 4 as a Category 5 storm, packing winds of up to 160 miles an hour. It weakened rapidly over the mountains dividing Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, but heavy rains washed out roads and buildings, and winds sank two Nicaraguan fishing boats carrying 45 people. Police in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, urged residents of low-lying areas to seek higher ground, but many people remained in their homes, fearing looters. The Pacific storm, Henriette, struck Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, causing heavy damage to Pacific Coast resort areas.

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