Miami (CNN) — Rina strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane off the coast of Central America on Monday, as officials in Nicaragua searched for more than two dozen missing storm evacuees.
A navy boat ferrying people between the Miskito Cays and Puerto Cabezas, on the eastern coast, was reported missing on Sunday, according to Vice Adm. Roger Gonzalez of the Nicaraguan navy. Twenty-seven people were on board, he said.
Forecasters warn that the storm will strengthen further before making landfall later this week.
Readings from a reconnaissance aircraft showed the storm had 75 mph maximum sustained winds, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. As of 5 p.m. ET, Rina was centered about 195 miles southwest of Grand Cayman island and 355 miles east-southeast of Chetumal, Mexico.
The storm was moving west-northwest at 3 mph, the forecast center said, and could strengthen to a Category 3 hurricane in the next 48 hours.
Earlier Monday, forecasters said Rina’s projected path had shifted course, menacing Mexico with the possibility of strong winds and heavy rainfall. The storm is expected to dump between 2-4 inches of rain over the Cayman Islands.
Rina could make landfall this week in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula — home to Cancun and many of Mexico’s top tourist spots.
“It is too early to speculate what, if any effects Rina will have on the U.S., but after the storm makes landfall in the Yucatan, the combination of land interaction and high shear that is forecast into the Gulf of Mexico is expected to weaken Rina as it begins to turn towards the northeast towards Cuba, or perhaps South Florida or the Bahamas,” said CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen.
Flood-soaked Central America also braced for more rain Monday as Rina lumbered toward land.
In Nicaragua and Honduras, where flooding and mudslides have affected thousands and killed dozens of people, authorities issued alerts warning residents that more precipitation could be on the way.
October marks the end of the rainy season in the region and is when the area is most susceptible to flooding because the ground is already saturated, CNN International weather anchor Mari Ramos said.
Heavy rains have hit Honduras for several weeks, killing at least 29 people, according to government statistics.
In Guatemala, 39 people have been killed and thousands remain at risk, the state-run AGN news agency reported.
Civil protection officials in El Salvador reported 34 rain-related deaths. And Nicaragua has reported at least 12 deaths.
(CNN) — Rina was on the verge of becoming a Category 3 hurricane as it careened near Honduras and Belize on Wednesday before heading toward Cancun.
The storm was packing near 110 mph winds early Wednesday morning and moving at 5 mph, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. That is 1 mph away from a Category 3 hurricane.
Forecast models show Rina strengthening into a Category 3 hurricane before approaching the Yucatan. The projected path shows Rina back at Category 2 intensity when it takes aim at Cancun on Thursday.
Residents and worried travelers in Cancun stocked up on supplies Tuesday to prepare for the storm to hit the popular Mexican resort city.
Carla Bautista bought bread, water and canned tuna.
“It’s my first hurricane. This is new. … I’m a little afraid, because I don’t know what to expect,” said Bautista, 28, who moved to Cancun two months ago from Mexico City.
Mexican officials issued a hurricane warning for the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from north of Punta Gruesa to Cancun as the Category 2 storm strengthened. Similarly, U.S. officials issued a travel alert, advising U.S. citizens in the area to prepare themselves for the possibility of a hurricane.
Some tourists decided not to take any chances.
“We wanted to get out of there. … We were on vacation and just didn’t want to be stressed,” said Kathy Davis, 57, an American with a timeshare in Cancun.
She said she and her husband celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary at the airport while waiting to catch a flight.
In Cancun’s hotel area, crews were securing boats and clearing palm fronds and debris.
Kelly McLaughlin moved her 6-year-old son’s toys inside and trimmed tree branches around her home.
“I’m just checking everything to make sure there’s nothing loose,” said McLaughlin, a Canadian who’s lived in Cancun for eight years.
McLaughlin, 40, said preparing for storms has become routine since Hurricane Wilma devastated the area in 2005.
“My friends that are fairly new to Cancun are a lot more nervous and starting to get a little stressed,” she said. “I’m just trying to keep everyone calm.”
Lines at supermarkets and gas stations were long, residents said.
As of 5 a.m. ET Wednesday, the center of Rina was about 215 miles east-southeast of Chetumal, Mexico. It was moving west at 3 mph, but was expected to gradually turn northwest and speed up over the next two days, forecasters said.
A tourist walks past palm trees swaying in winds caused by the proximity of Hurricane Rina hurricane off the coast of Quintana Roo in Cancun on Tuesday. Victor Ruiz Garcia/Reuters
Posted by: Public Affairs
We continue to closely watch Hurricane Rina as it swirls in the Caribbean. Rina currently has maximum sustained winds of over 100 mph, and is forecast to approach the Yucatan Peninsula by Thursday morning.
October 25, 2011 – Photo of Hurricane Rina just off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula (courtesy of National Hurricane Center).
While it is still too early to know whether Rina will affect the U.S. mainland or territories in the Caribbean, our regional offices in Atlanta, New York (responsible for supporting Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands) and Denton, Texas are closely monitoring the storm. For the latest updates on Hurricane Rina or developing severe tropical weather, visit the National Hurricane Center online at hurricanes.gov (hurricanes.gov/mobile on your mobile device), or follow them on Facebook or Twitter.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs through November 30, and late October can be an active part of the season as storms tend to develop in the Caribbean. So if you haven’t already, now is the time to be prepared if you live in a coastal area or could be affected by severe tropical weather. Visit Ready.gov/hurricanes (Listo.gov para español) to learn how to prepare your home and family for a hurricane or tropical storm.
Rina is now a category 2 hurricane after rapid strengthening occurred during the evening of October 24. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Rina is now located around 210…
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