Hurricane Otto Hits Costa Rica

San José, Nov 23 (Prensa Latina) Costa Rica today began to feel the increase in the influence of Hurricane Otto, which according to forecasts will hit the nation in the afternoon in a point near the border with Nicaragua.

The most recent official reports recorded more than 1,000 people compulsorily evacuated in localities on the Caribbean coast, about 1,200 affected homes in 148 communities due to the rains associated with the phenomenon and 32 disrupted roads.

Otto acquired a category of hurricane on Tuesday afternoon when it was about 370 kilometers off the Costa Rican coast (Puerto Limon) and moves west at less than 10 kilometers per hour.

The National Meteorological Institute predicted that Otto will land on the sector Barra del Colorado sector in the northern Caribbean of Costa Rica, bordering Nicaragua.

The Nicaraguan president, Luis Guillermo Solis, considered that this is a historical hurricane for being the first that touches directly the national territory.

Yesterday, the national authorities held yesterday contacts with their peers of Panama and Nicaragua to coordinate actions facing the damages that Otto will cause as it passes through the region.

On the other hand, the Costa Rican Football Federation cancelled matches on the second date of the Winter Tournament scheduled for tomorrow and Thursday, while important shopping centers moved the so-called Black Friday for the next week.