Ida Downgraded To Tropical Storm

HOUSTON -- Ida has been downgraded to a tropical storm, weakening as it dumps heavy rains over Nicaragua.

The storm was at hurricane strength when it hit the country's Atlantic coast around sunrise Thursday, destroying several dozen homes and forcing the evacuation of more than 3,000 people.

On Thursday afternoon, Ida was clocking 65 mph winds. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami say it was centered about 75 miles north of Bluefields, Nicaragua, and had moved little since making landfall.

No deaths or injuries have been reported because of the storm. Ida was expected to weaken more as it moves across the mainland.

"If it makes it, it could emerge on Saturday into the Caribbean and continue as a storm where it will make its way toward the Gulf of Mexico. But, a front coming through our area on Tuesday is expected to take this storm toward Florida. So, (Ida) should not be an issue for us. But, we will watch it, nonetheless," KPRC Local 2 chief meteorologist Frank Billingsley said.

More than 3,000 people had been evacuated -- 800 of those from flimsy, makeshift homes on Corn Island and nearby Little Corn Island, where strong winds damaged about 45 homes, smashed boats, toppled trees and knocked out power. Residents were taken to the port authority building and concrete hotels.

About 2,500 people live on the two islands, which are popular tourist destinations.

Rowena Kandler, owner of the Sunrise Hotel on Corn Island, said many fruit trees on the hotel's 13-acre ranch were damaged.

"We don't have electricity or water," she said. "Everything is on the ground now. Thank God we're alive."

The hotel had two guests who rode out the storm Wednesday night, but Kandler said they left for the airport Thursday morning.

More than 1,000 people were evacuated in Bluefields, and the airport closed.

At the Oasis Hotel and Casino, located half a block from the coast in Bluefields, receptionist Adelis Molina said winds were strong and guests from the United States, Italy and Guatemala were hunkering down inside.

Heavy rains and winds kept officials from evacuating about 80 people on Cayos Perla, but authorities said they planned to used speedboats to get them out.

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