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15-Foot Waves Destroy Homes in Nicaragua
By FILADELFO ALEMAN
AP
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (June 20) - Big waves generated by a storm 2,000 miles away battered Central America's Pacific coast Tuesday, wrecking about 20 houses in Nicaragua and a small hotel in Guatemala, civil defense officials said. There were no reports of fatalities.
Authorities ordered 200 people evacuated in Nicaragua as reports of high waves came in from other Central American countries and southern Mexico.
Experts said the event was not a tsunami, the massive waves triggered by undersea earthquakes.
Hugh Cobb, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said the waves were caused by a powerful South Pacific storm that was sending swells up to 12-feet high across the ocean, hitting beaches from Ecuador's Galapagos Islands to the Mexican resort of Acapulco.
Beaches were closed as far south as northern Chile, but no damage was reported along the South American coast.
Central America was the hardest hit, but Cobb said the worst was over and the waves should began to subside.
"They should start coming down over the next several days," he said. "We expect them to gradually subside over the next 24 to 48 hours."
On Guatemala's western shore, waves of up to 13 feet high caused extensive damage to a small hotel frequented by surfers in Sipacate, 60 miles southeast of Guatemala City, employees said.
"The sea took away eight rooms and part of the restaurant, which was made of wood," said Brigido de Paz, the manager. "The kitchen and the rooms that were made of concrete are flooded and damaged."
In Nicaragua, 15-foot waves carried water up to 100 yards inland and destroyed about 20 small homes in Puerto Corinto, civil defense official William Rodriguez said.
The government sent 75 Nicaraguan soldiers, firefighters and rescue workers to help with the evacuations.
Dozens of people were evacuated in El Salvador, where waves up to 20 feet high were reported.
In Costa Rica, 12-foot waves caused minor flooding in several coastal communities, but there were no reports of damage, said Omar Lizano, an oceanographer at Costa Rica's Research Center for Ocean Sciences.
Seven-foot waves flooded the boardwalk for 2 miles along Acapulco's Coastal Avenue and left beachfront restaurants and night clubs standing in water.
Jorge Pacheco, director of civil protection in the Mexican resort, said big waves began hitting Monday and officials had issued warnings to stay out of the ocean.
In Mexico's Oaxaca state, to the south, officials said high waves washed away some thatched beach huts.
By FILADELFO ALEMAN
AP
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (June 20) - Big waves generated by a storm 2,000 miles away battered Central America's Pacific coast Tuesday, wrecking about 20 houses in Nicaragua and a small hotel in Guatemala, civil defense officials said. There were no reports of fatalities.
Authorities ordered 200 people evacuated in Nicaragua as reports of high waves came in from other Central American countries and southern Mexico.
Experts said the event was not a tsunami, the massive waves triggered by undersea earthquakes.
Hugh Cobb, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said the waves were caused by a powerful South Pacific storm that was sending swells up to 12-feet high across the ocean, hitting beaches from Ecuador's Galapagos Islands to the Mexican resort of Acapulco.
Beaches were closed as far south as northern Chile, but no damage was reported along the South American coast.
Central America was the hardest hit, but Cobb said the worst was over and the waves should began to subside.
"They should start coming down over the next several days," he said. "We expect them to gradually subside over the next 24 to 48 hours."
On Guatemala's western shore, waves of up to 13 feet high caused extensive damage to a small hotel frequented by surfers in Sipacate, 60 miles southeast of Guatemala City, employees said.
"The sea took away eight rooms and part of the restaurant, which was made of wood," said Brigido de Paz, the manager. "The kitchen and the rooms that were made of concrete are flooded and damaged."
In Nicaragua, 15-foot waves carried water up to 100 yards inland and destroyed about 20 small homes in Puerto Corinto, civil defense official William Rodriguez said.
The government sent 75 Nicaraguan soldiers, firefighters and rescue workers to help with the evacuations.
Dozens of people were evacuated in El Salvador, where waves up to 20 feet high were reported.
In Costa Rica, 12-foot waves caused minor flooding in several coastal communities, but there were no reports of damage, said Omar Lizano, an oceanographer at Costa Rica's Research Center for Ocean Sciences.
Seven-foot waves flooded the boardwalk for 2 miles along Acapulco's Coastal Avenue and left beachfront restaurants and night clubs standing in water.
Jorge Pacheco, director of civil protection in the Mexican resort, said big waves began hitting Monday and officials had issued warnings to stay out of the ocean.
In Mexico's Oaxaca state, to the south, officials said high waves washed away some thatched beach huts.