Hurricane Felix in Nicaragua

Hurricane Felix made landfall in Nicaragua yesterday on the Atlantic coast. It is an area with low elevation for many miles and the main mode of transportation for many of the local Indians (there is a much larger Indian population there than in the rest of Nicaragua) is by canoe in the extensive network of rivers.

We are very grateful that the hurricane did not come anywhere close to us here in southwest Nicaragua (it is currently sunny with a few clouds outside), although there has been some local flooding. Still, we keep those who have been affected in our prayers and Raul is hoping to drive to RAAN (the state most affected) this weekend to take needed supplies.

I’m also waiting for word from some friends in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, which is expecting much more rain than usual as Felix has turned into a tropical storm.

I am including a couple of the most recently published articles, one from the New York Times in English, and the other from La Prensa of Nicaragua, one of the main newspapers in Spanish. Below the link is my translation of the article from La Prensa into English.

As the New York Times article discusses, this storm was greatly feared in large part because of the large loss of life and continued ramifications from Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

New York Times
La Prensa of Nicaragua

At least nine are dead in the Autonomous Region of the North Atlantic (RAAN) since Hurricane Félix made landfall, confirmed in the press by lieutenant colonel, Rogelio Flores, second chief of the Civil Defense. Flores explained that in Port Heads four deaths have been registered, one in Waspam and four in Sasha.

He added that more than 7,895 houses they were damaged in Port Heads, Waspam, Rose, Siuna, Peacefulness and Jinotega. Also, there are some 36,000 people affected in these areas, besides the 15,000 that are living in the hurricane shelters.

According to the military chief, they are already trying to repair damaged structures, the water main for drinking water, bridges and highways. Those affected by the hurricane urgently need blankets, water, medications and food.

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