Torrential rains caused by Hurricane Ida have killed at least 50 people and left several others missing in El Salvador, civil protection officials said Sunday.Ida, churning in the western Caribbean, was barreling toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula early Sunday, bringing torrential rains and flooding of up to four feet (1.2 meters) above sea level in some areas.
"Unfortunately we have to report the number of dead has increased because of the rains, we now count 50 individuals," the head of El Salvador's civil protection service, Jorge Melendez told AFP.
Forecasters said flooding was also possible in Western Cuba, and the US National Weather Service in Miami Florida said Sunday that Ida was expected to produce "large and destructive waves" across the affected region.
The NHC warned rains could produce flash floods and mudslides in Central America and the Caribbean.
On Thursday, while still a tropical storm, heavy rains from Ida led to flooding that destroyed an estimated 930 homes, leaving some 13,000 people homeless.
