By Ivan Castro
Managua - Hurricane Ida weakened to a tropical storm as it churned through eastern Nicaragua on Thursday after cutting power and ripping roofs on little-developed Caribbean islands.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from flimsy homes on the Corn Islands, near the port of Bluefields, as Ida drenched the remote Miskito coast with heavy rain. The US National Hurricane Centre warned of floods and mudslides.
At 1pm Ida's winds had decreased to near 100km/h and further weakening was likely as the storm moves up into Honduras during the next two days. The storm was nearly stationary about 125km north of Bluefields, the Miami-based NHC said.
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Ida is expected to regain strength after it moves back over the Caribbean sea on Friday, and could enter the oil and gas-rich Gulf of Mexico next week.
General Mario Perez-Cassar, Nicaragua's civil defence chief, said strong winds ripped roofs and knocked out power in Big Corn Island and Little Corn Island, home to shrimp and lobster fishermen.
"They are without power, all the electric lines are down, there are trees on the roads and no running water," Perez-Cassar told local television. - Reuters
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