Guatemala Braces for a Storm That May Get Lost in Pacific

Bracing for Tropical Storm Miriam, Guatemala went on alert Monday, but local forecasters predicted that the storm would dissipate over water after its deadly rampage through Central America and the Caribbean as Hurricane Joan.

“The most likely thing is that it will be lost in the Pacific,” Guatemalan Meteorology Institute director Estuardo Velazquez said.

But U.S. meteorologists said they are not convinced the storm will dissipate over water.

“We’re forecasting the storm to continue moving right along the coast of Mexico for next couple of days,” said Miles Lawrence, a hurricane specialist with the National Weather Service in Miami.

Weather Service officials said Miriam was lashing the Guatemalan port of San Jose late Monday with winds of up to 60 m.p.h.

As Hurricane Joan, the storm killed more than 100 people, forced tens of thousands from their homes and caused extensive damage on the Atlantic coast of Central America.

In Nicaragua and Costa Rica, food and clothing was being flown into areas cut off by the storm and subsequent flooding.

Costa Rica said at least 21 people had been killed, 175 injured and 18 are missing after the storm roared through the country.

In Panama, newspapers reported five people drowned and more than 1,000 left homeless by floods.

On the Nicaraguan coast, where the hurricane arrived with 135 m.p.h. winds early Saturday, officials said the towns of Corn Island, Bluefields and Ciudad Rama were devastated.

Government spokesman Dioniso Marenco said at least 50 people had died in the hurricane in Nicaragua, but contact had yet to be established with outlying areas and the toll could grow.

While flooding was reported in some areas of El Salvador, there were no immediate reports of casualties.