Felix Makes History

Hurricane Felix became the second Category 5 storm to make landfall in less than 2 weeks today, marking the first time two of the rare storms have hit land in the same season since 1886. "The winds are horrible," said a Red Cross official in Nicaragua. "We aren't going outside because it is too dangerous."

Felix weakened quickly, dropping to Category 3 as it passed over land, but not before knocking out power and phones all along Nicaragua's Miskito Coast. Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Hurricane Henriette was poised to hit the Baja peninsula; only once since 1949 have Atlantic and Pacific storms made landfall within 24 hours, in 1992 when Lester preceded Hurricane Andrew ashore. (More Hurricane Felix stories.)