Hurricane Julia Hits Nicaragua With Torrential Rainfall
MEXICO CITY—Hurricane Julia hit Nicaragua’s central Caribbean coast on Sunday after lashing Colombia’s San Andres island, and a weakened storm was expected to emerge over the Pacific.
Julia hit as a Category 1 hurricane early Sunday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph), though its winds had dipped to tropical storm force, 70 mph (110 kph), by late morning as it pushed across Nicaragua with heavy rains.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Julia was centered about 65 miles (105 kilometers) east-northeast of Managua, the capital, and was moving west at 15 mph (24 kph).
It said life-threatening flash floods and mudslides were possible across Central America and southern Mexico through Tuesday, with the storm expected to bring as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain in isolated areas….