A number of people are dead or missing in Costa Rica after Hurricane Otto made landfall as a Category Two storm.
Otto, the southernmost hurricane on record to hit Central America, struck a sparsely-populated area of southern Nicaragua on Thursday.
Neighbouring Costa Rica had ordered 4,000 people from the Caribbean coast.
At about the same time the storm hit, a powerful earthquake shook Nicaragua and El Salvador, briefly triggering a tsunami alert.
The 7.0 magnitude quake in the Pacific Ocean was about 120km (75 miles) off the coast of El Salvador. There were no reports of damage or casualties but residents were initially advised to evacuate coastal areas. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the threat had passed.
Media in Nicaragua said one woman died of a heart attack after hearing the tsunami warning.
Meanwhile, in Costa Rica, president Luis Guillermo Solis said an unknown number were dead or missing after the hurricane. The country had not been directly hit by a hurricane since records began in 1851.
The port of Bluefields in Nicaragua bore the brunt of the heavy winds
At its peak, Hurricane Otto had wind speeds of up to 175km/h (110mph ) but it soon weakened into a tropical storm.
Forecasters warned of heavy rains which they fear could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, with up to 50cm (20 ins) of rain expected in parts of Nicaragua and Costa Rica on Friday.
While Otto is expected to reach the Pacific coast later on Friday, it is feared coffee crops, that are almost ready to be picked, could be badly damaged in the storm.
Four people died in Panama earlier this week as a result of severe weather caused by Otto's approach.
At its peak, Hurricane Otto had wind speeds of up to 175km/h (110mph ) but it soon weakened into a tropical storm.
Forecasters warned of heavy rains which they fear could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, with up to 50cm (20 ins) of rain expected in parts of Nicaragua and Costa Rica on Friday.
While Otto is expected to reach the Pacific coast later on Friday, it is feared coffee crops, that are almost ready to be picked, could be badly damaged in the storm.
Four people died in Panama earlier this week as a result of severe weather caused by Otto's approach.
The authorities' response in Costa Rica was praised, though not everyone found shelter
A number of flights were cancelled in Costa Rica, but local media reported that US rock band Guns N' Roses were able to land ahead of their concert on Saturday.
A resident of Costa Rica's capital, San Jose, praised the authorities for their response.
"The government has been doing a great job in keeping people informed. We get messages constantly through our cell phones, mobile numbers," Gabriela Hernandez said.
A number of flights were cancelled in Costa Rica, but local media reported that US rock band Guns N' Roses were able to land ahead of their concert on Saturday.
A resident of Costa Rica's capital, San Jose, praised the authorities for their response.
"The government has been doing a great job in keeping people informed. We get messages constantly through our cell phones, mobile numbers," Gabriela Hernandez said.
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon