By Carlos Mario Marquez
San Salvador - Hurricane Adrian was downgraded to a tropical storm after making landfall on Friday in El Salvador, quickly losing wind speed but still packing torrential rains and flash-flood danger, as thousands of evacuees await news they can go home.
Hurricane wind speeds that at one point reached 140km/h when Adrian was over the Pacific Ocean have slowed to near 100km/h as the tropical storm was now over central El Salvador travelling north-east at 19km per hour, the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre said in a statement at 9am.
Hurricane warnings along the coast of El Salvador have been replaced with a tropical storm warning as the circulation of the storm continues dwindling with the centre predicting that it may dissipate altogether before reaching the Caribbean Sea.
'For anyone who has children, the situation is worrisome' The centre, however, continued to warn against rainfall accumulations of 15 to 25 centimetres with isolated higher amounts of near 50 centimetres in the mountains, warning of life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.
Ahead of the storm, El Salvador authorities evacuated 19 000 people in the path of swollen rivers in the western part of the country, while the streets of San Salvador emptied of people in the evening hours forcing restaurants, shops and movie theatres to close early.
In Honduras, where Adrian was expected to reach later on Friday, emergency services had earlier prepared to evacuate up to 160 000 people from coastal areas and flood prone regions.
Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos said in Managua: "A yellow alert has been declared beginning Thursday to last 48 hours."
Central America is still recovering from flooding triggered by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed more than 11 000 in the region and left about 1,5 million homeless.
'I don't think anyone expected a hurricane'
Martin Nelson, with the National Hurricane Centre, said it was "rare, although not unheard of," for a storm that gathers in the Pacific to move eastward and across Central America. "It's been a few years since that happened," Nelson said.
Virtually the entire region across Central America has been on alert since Wednesday in preparation for the hurricane's arrival.
In El Salvador, Family Affairs Minister Auda Prieto said the government had seven tons of beans, rice and corn ready for emergency delivery, enough to feed about 500 000 families.
In the San Salvador, markets on Thursday were bursting with customers buying emergency supplies.
"For anyone who has children, the situation is worrisome," said Victor Campos, 30, who was at San Salvador's main open-air market with his wife. "In El Salvador we are accustomed to earthquakes and storms, but I don't think anyone expected a hurricane," he said. If Adrian holds together after crossing Honduras, it is expected to to head out over the Caribbean Sea where it could pick up speed once again.Martin Nelson, with the National Hurricane Centre, said it was "rare, although not unheard of," for a storm that gathers in the Pacific to move eastward and across Central America. "It's been a few years since that happened," Nelson said.Virtually the entire region across Central America has been on alert since Wednesday in preparation for the hurricane's arrival.In El Salvador, Family Affairs Minister Auda Prieto said the government had seven tons of beans, rice and corn ready for emergency delivery, enough to feed about 500 000 families.In the San Salvador, markets on Thursday were bursting with customers buying emergency supplies."For anyone who has children, the situation is worrisome," said Victor Campos, 30, who was at San Salvador's main open-air market with his wife. "In El Salvador we are accustomed to earthquakes and storms, but I don't think anyone expected a hurricane," he said.
Tropical Depression Adrian May 20 15:45 UTC
     

Hurricane Adrian appears to be dissipating over Honduras, but is still providing heavy rainfall to the region.  At 8 a.m. PDT, the center of now Tropical Depression Adrian was dissipating at  15.0° N, 87.5°W and was inland over western Honduras.  It is moving toward the northeast at about 17 mph (28 km/h) with maximum sustained winds of 30 mph (45 km/h).

The Salvadoran Comité de Emergencia Nacional (National Emergency Committee) reported that over 15,400 people were evacuated from high risk areas.

Tropical Depression Adrian is expected to produce an additional 4 to 6 inches of rainfall over Honduras over the next 24 hours, and mudslides are a major fear for residents.  The  National Hurricane Center has discontinued its public advisories for Adrian unless the storm regenerates.