Beta extends record Atlantic storm season
Meteorologists said Beta was on track to reach hurricane strength late yesterday, which would make it the 13th hurricane of the already record-breaking Atlantic season of a total 23 named storms.
The US National Hurricane Centre in Miami issued a hurricane warning for San Andres and the nearby island of Providencia both far-flung possessions of Colombia about 450 miles away.
On Thursday, the storm's outer winds reached San Andres, where about 500 tourists and 200 residents living in shacks on the southern beaches were moved to shelters set up by the government.
Storm surge flooding of 4 to 7 feet above normal tide levels was expected on both islands, and San Andres' 80,000 inhabitants were also likely to be hit by as much as 20 inches of rain.
Beta is expected to reach mainland Nicaragua as a strong Category 2 hurricane by tomorrow.
Forecasters said it was not expected to threaten the United States.
Officials used clergy to convince people to leave San Andres, about 110 miles off Nicaragua's coast.
Police chief Carlos Mena said: "The emergency workers went door to door with priests and nuns because of lot of the residents didn't want to leave and needed reassuring from the (Catholic) Church."
In Managua, the Nicaraguan capital, President Enrique Bolanos called on emergency officials to begin preparing for the storm. "We are going to send food, clothing and medicine, even if we have to ask for it on credit," Mr Bolanos said.
Beta would be the first hurricane to hit the Colombian islands since Hurricane Cesar in 1996.
This year's Atlantic hurricane season has seen more named storms than at any point since records began in 1851. The previous record of 21 was set in 1933.
Last week Tropical Storm Alpha formed, the first time a letter from the Greek alphabet has been used because the list of storm names was exhausted.
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