Keith moves toward Mexico after battering Central America

BISCAYNE VILLAGE, Belize (AP) -- Former Hurricane Keith moved over Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and lost strength Tuesday while reports emerged of the damage it had done in Central America, where high winds and rain caused a dozen deaths, knocked over houses and ravaged islands.

While the Caribbean coast nation of Belize suffered the worst damage, Nicaragua reported the highest death toll: the government said between eight and ten people are believed to have died there since Thursday, when the storm developed.

While details of those deaths are sketchy, most of the victims appeared to have been swept to their deaths by swollen rivers; one man was electrocuted by a power cable downed by the storm.

About 2,600 Nicaraguans had their homes flooded during the storm's five-day run through the region; Keith began as a tropical storm off the coast of Nicaragua's neighbor, Honduras, before becoming a hurricane and stalling off the coast of Belize.

"We have to appeal to God that there be no more hurricanes," Nicaraguan President Arnoldo Aleman told reporters Tuesday.

Rain-swollen rivers also killed a man in El Salvador, and one woman in Honduras drowned Monday when a wall of water rushed into her home. Rain associated with the hurricane also caused flooding in Mexico's Gulf coast of Tabasco, where one person drowned.

In Belize, initial reports from Caye Caulker, 12 miles (20 kms) off the Caribbean coast, indicated that most of the houses on the island had been blown down by Keith, once a powerful category-three hurricane.

"There was a lot of damage on the offshore islands. Communications are down, so we don't have a clear picture yet," said William Skeen, director of the Red Cross in Belize City.

Islands like Caye Caulker and Ambergris Cay are popular among tourists for their pristine beaches and crystalline waters. Reports indicated that the roofs were blown off two hotels on Ambergris Cay during the height of the storm.

On Tuesday, Keith had dwindled to a tropical depression with 33 mph (53 kph) winds. Floodwaters that had risen knee-deep in Belize City began to drain, revealing the extent of the damage. Skeen said dozens of houses had collapsed throughout the city, the largest in this Central American country.

Keith dumped a huge quantity of rain -- 22 inches (56 cms) -- on Belize since the storm hit Saturday, but skies cleared for the first time in three days Tuesday.

Ocean water that had drained from shallow coastal bays and inlets appeared to be returning gradually, without the destructive rush that had been feared.

Coastal highways remained blocked by raging rivers that cut chunks out of the roadways. Despite the extent of the damage, Skeen said there were no reports of injuries or deaths from Keith in Belize.

On Tuesday, Keith was moving west over Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. While that path could take the storm into the Gulf of Mexico, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center predicted the storm would weaken further.

The U.S. government dispatched a 12-person relief and rescue team from Miami to Belize with emergency aid including blankets, plastic tarps and water jugs, and Skeen said the International Red Cross was also mobilizing aid efforts.

The scene they face is daunting: In Belize City, snapped power lines dangled treacherously over water-laden streets. Aluminum roofs, peeled back like sardine-can lids by high winds, flapped helplessly over flooded wooden homes.

Belize, an English-speaking country of about 200,000 people, is tucked between Mexico and Guatemala. It was known as British Honduras until it gained independence in 1981.

Meanwhile, another tropical storm, Olivia, formed Tuesday far off Mexico's southern Pacific coast, with winds of almost 44 mph (70 kph).

Olivia was nearly stationary about 180 miles (300 kms) south of Manzanillo, Mexico.

Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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