Thousands scramble for cover in Nicaragua, Honduras as stronger Beta rages

[Up2Late]

(Here comes ANOTHER human tragedy! Beta just went to Cat 3, hitting that part of Central America will be Very bad!)

Thousands scramble for cover in Nicaragua, Honduras as stronger Beta rages

30/10/2005 09h07

PUERTO CABEZAS, Nicaragua, (AFP) - Nicaragua's Caribbean coast braced for a direct hit from a strengthening Hurricane Beta, as neighboring Honduras hurried to evacuate 150,000 people. Refugees crowded churches and schools in this small port city of some 60,000 where local authorities announced a curfew to prevent looting and rushed to cut off electricity citywide in hopes of avoiding potential injuries.

At 0300 GMT, the center of Hurricane Beta was located about 75 kilometers (45 miles) east-southeast of Puerto Cabezas, unleashing sustained winds near 165 km/hr (105 mph) with higher gusts, according to the US National Hurricane Center in Miami. Upgraded "Beta is now a Category Two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale (of a maximum five). There is a chance it could become a dangerous Category Three major hurricane before landfall," the center warned.

"Beta is moving toward the west near seven km/hr (5 mph) and this general motion is expected to continue during the next 24 hours. This track will bring the core of Beta near the coast of Nicaragua early Sunday," the center added. Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos said there was neither the time nor the means to evacuate the city properly and that authorities should focus on getting everyone into stable shelters. Thousands of residents trudged through driving rains to reach shelter facilities.

"House structures in Bilwi (Puerto Cabezas) are extremely fragile given the strength of Beta," the president said. "So from here on in we are asking the international community for its always generous solidarity with the people of Nicaragua."

<http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/051030082307.jhxe8guk.html>
(more at link above)

Here's the current wind field



<http://tsr.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/tracker/dynamic/200526N_0H.html>

<http://tsr.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/tracker/dynamic/200526N.html>

[malaise]

1. I'm so glad they're moving

because mud slides are inevitable in that terrain.

[donsu]

2. good luck to them all

during the storm is bad, after the storm can be very bad

global warming is one of the things causing world metamorphosis

[uppityperson]

3. wunderground satellite photo and Jeff Masters info

Edited to add Jeff Masters stuff.

I think this picture will change as they change the picture on their website, but am not sure. Poor people.

Jeff Masters says:
Hurricane Beta smashed ashore on the central coast of Nicaragua at 7 am EST this morning as a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds. Beta put on an impressive burst of intensification last night and had 115 mph winds for about six hours before weakening substantially just prior to landfall. This brief burst of intensification made Beta the seventh major hurricane of the 2005 season. This is one hurricane shy of the record of eight major hurricanes seen in 1950.

Beta probably brought a 15-foot storm surge to the coast, plus 100 mph plus winds in a small area up to 15 miles from the center. The east coast of Nicaragua is sparsely populated, and these winds and the storm surge probably only affected a small number of people. However, Beta's rains will cause serious flooding and mudslides over Nicaragua and Honduras the next two days as the storm moves over the mountains of western Nicaragua and dissipates. Beta may end up being Nicaragua's fourth worst hurricane of all time, behind Hurricane Joan of October 1988, the great 1605 hurricane that killed over 1300, and Hurricane Mitch of 1998. Joan killed 148 people in Nicaragua, with the large death toll blamed in part on the residents' resistance in the coastal town of Bluefield to evacuation.

Honduras will also suffer Beta's wrath, but is missing the core of Beta's moisture and will very likely avoid the kind of serious flooding that killed thousands during Hurricane Mitch of 1998. Tune into wunderblogger Helen's blog from Roatan Island, Honduras, to follow the storm. Roatan is on the central coast of Honduras--the area Hurricane Mitch hit hardest.

Beta is probably too small to emerge out over the Pacific and re-intensify into a tropical storm. Hurricane Joan did successfully make the crossing, to be reborn as Hurricane Miriam in eastern Pacific. However, Joan was a large and fast-moving Category 4 hurricane. Beta's remains should bring no more than 3-6 inches of rain to El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Guatemala over the next few days.

Elsewhere in the tropics
The large tropical disturbance in the central Caribbean that was interfering with Beta's circulation yesterday has weakened and has been partially absorbed by Beta. This disturbance is not expected to develop.

A large tropical wave located about 200 miles east of the Lesser Antilles has not become better organized today but has some potential for further development over the next few days as it moves west or west-northwest at 15 mph. This area of disturbed weather will bring heavy rain and gusty winds to the northern Leeward Islands today. If a tropical storm does develop from this wave, it could threaten Hispanolia, Cuba, Jamaica, and the Bahamas later in the week. Wind shear over the Caribbean is expected to remain low the next week, favoring tropical storm develoment of any tropical waves that traverse the region.

I'll be back with an update Monday morning.

Jeff Masters
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/show.html

[Up2Late]

4. Powerful Hurricane Beta crashes ashore in Nicaragua (AFP)

(Update)

Powerful Hurricane Beta crashes ashore in Nicaragua

30/10/2005 15h30

PUERTO CABEZAS, Nicaragua (AFP) - Hurricane Beta scored a direct hit on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast, sending thousands fleeing to schools and churches for shelter from the mammoth storm. Powerful winds and heavy rain buffetted this small port city of some 60,000 where local authorities announced a curfew to prevent looting and rushed to cut off electricity citywide in hopes of avoiding potential injuries.

At 8 am 1300 GMT, Beta ranked as a Category Two storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale out of a maximum of five, with sustained winds of up to 105 miles (169 kilometers) per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center in Miami. Storm surge and rain-triggered flooding were both expected, it warned Sunday.

As the threat of mudslides loomed, authorities said the center of Hurricane Beta came ashore in Karawala, south of Puerto Cabezas, but did not have immediate news on the fate of the town's 3,000 residents. Town mayor Gustavo Ramosa said about 2,000 people had been evacuated during the night.

Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos earlier had said there was neither the time nor the means to evacuate the city properly and that authorities should focus on getting everyone into stable shelters. Thousands of residents trudged through driving rains to reach shelters. "House structures in Bilwi (Puerto Cabezas) are extremely fragile given the strength of Beta," the president said. "So from here on in we are asking the international community for its always generous solidarity with the people of Nicaragua." "We are doing everything humanly possible to save lives. I just ask God to protect our people," an emotional Bolanos said.

<http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/051030152830.xis5j2tp.html>
(more at link above)

[truthisfreedom]

5. what a bizarre turn it took!

weird.