By Xinhua,
Managua : Nicaragua has set up 995 emergency shelters in response to an alert of hurricane Alma Friday in the country, the Civil Defence department said.
The coastal area is highly vulnerable to the impact of rain and strong winds from hurricane Alma, the chief of Civil Defence, Mario Perezcassar, said.
The alerts were sent out in the provinces of Rivas, Granada, Masaya, Carazo, Leon and Chinandega, Mario said at a press conference.
The authorities have advised the local residents to stock up essential items in preparation for the emergency.
The emergency actions were ordered Thursday after the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami declared a hurricane alert for Nicaragua.
Alejandro Rodriguez, director general of the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies, asked the country to prepare itself for the worst.
According to forecasts by the institute, Alma will hit Nicaragua about 16 km south-west of Leon.
Schools were closed in the Pacific region and flights bound for the Caribbean were suspended.