Hurricane Beta Drenched Nicaragua, Honduras

Hurricane Beta pounded Nicaragua´s Caribbean coast with heavy rains and powerful winds Sunday as thousands of people rode out the storm in boarded-up homes or government shelters.

The storm came ashore near the remote town of La Barra as a category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds. But it weakened to a category 1 with 90 mph winds as it moved inland, dumping up to 15 inches of rain.

Before reaching Central America, the record 13th hurricane of this year´s Atlantic storm season lashed the Colombian island of Providencia with heavy winds, torrential rains and high surf. At least 30 people were injured, Colombian Civil Defense Col. Eugenio Alarcon said.

In Honduras, President Ricardo Maduro declared a maximum state of alert as strong winds and intense rains from Beta began to batter the Atlantic coast. Authorities evacuated more than 50 people due to flooding in a coastal city also known as Gracias a Dios, on the border with Nicaragua.