SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) – Hurricane Adrian failed to live up to
its billing on Friday, quickly fizzling out over Honduras after striking an
unprecedented blow to the Salvadoran coast.
Tens of thousands of people were evacuated before the hurricane, the first of
the eastern Pacific season, but it caused relatively little damage after hitting
the coast west of El Salvador’s capital overnight with maximum sustained winds
of almost 75 mph.
By midday, the rapidly moving storm had largely broken up over neighbouring
Honduras.
Hurricane Adrian was downgraded to a tropical depression Friday, with the
remnant of the system bringing rainfall to the Cayman Islands Saturday
afternoon.
In Honduras, President Ricardo Maduro said “there were no deaths or damage to
mourn, so we are fortunate.”
Salvadoran President Tony Saca told local Channel 12 that officials were
evaluating the damage, but said activities were turning to normal after the
concern caused by the first hurricane on record to directly hit El Salvador.
He said most of the 23,000 people evacuated in El Salvador had returned
home.