Nicaraguans ride out quake, hurricane and tsunami fears

Record ID: 77469

  • Title: Nicaraguans ride out quake, hurricane and tsunami fears
  • Date: 25th November 2016
  • Summary: BLUEFIELDS, NICARAGUA (NOVEMBER 24, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CALM WATER MAN AND BOY BY WATER DINGHY IN WATER SHACKS ON PIER PEOPLE IN SHELTER PEOPLE WAITING TO BE GIVEN FOOD AT SHELTER VARIOUS OF WOMAN SERVING FOOD AT SHELTER WOMAN IN WHEELCHAIR EATING AT SHELTER CHILD SLEEPING ON FLOOR AT SHELTER LOCAL VOLUNTEERS AT SHELTER VOLUNTEER WEARING T-SHIRT WITH IMAGE OF NICARAGUAN PRESIDENT DANIEL ORTEGA (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL VOLUNTEER, JESSICA CORTES, SAYING: "People are returning to their homes as everything has passed. There haven't been any victims, any destruction here in the southern part, especially in the area which was most at risk." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CARRYING BELONGINGS AT SHELTER
  • Embargoed: 10th December 2016 02:40
  • Keywords: Hurricane Otto earthquake tsunami Nicaragua
  • Location: BLUEFIELDS, NICARAGUA
  • City: BLUEFIELDS, NICARAGUA
  • Country: Nicaragua
  • Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Wind/Hurricane/Typhoons/Tornadoes
  • Reuters ID: LVA00159XWMRN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Nicaraguans are breathing a sigh of relief on Thursday (November 24) after the Central American nation escaped relatively unscathed from an impending Hurricane Otto, a 7.2-magnitude quake and a tsunami warning.
    According to experts, Otto was weakening rapidly on Thursday (November 24) evening after hitting the southeastern coast of Nicaragua, and was expected to become a tropical storm by early Friday (November 25), the U.S. National Hurricane Centre said.
    Residents of Bluefields, once an infamous pirate haunt, were evacuated from Otto's path as is it neared.
    This region of Nicaragua was smashed by Hurricane Joan in 1988, a devastating Category 4 storm that destroyed many of the town's 19th century wooden houses, but this time emerged unscathed by Otto.
    "People are returning to their homes as everything has passed. There haven't been any victims, any destruction here in the southern part, especially in the area which was most at risk," said local volunteer, Jessica Cortes.
    Nicaraguan civil protection officials said the hurricane, which was moving west at 12 mph (19 kph), damaged homes and telephone lines but that there had not been reports of any victims.
    A 7.0-magnitude quake that struck off the coast of nearby El Salvador and triggered a brief tsunami warning also failed to register damage in Nicaragua.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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