CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico – Tropical storm Felix is forecast to dump up to 25 inches of rain on parts of Nicaragua and Honduras, officials said early Wednesday, triggering fears of flooding and mudslides in areas where shantytowns cling precariously to hillsides.At least three people were killed and thousands of homes destroyed as Felix pushed over Nicaragua and Honduras on Tuesday, officials said.Hurricane Henriette, meanwhile, made landfall on the region’s west coast just hours after Felix hit, and punished resorts on the southern tip of Baja California. Henriette forced airports to close and left tourists to face driving rain and 15-foot waves, but caused no deaths as it headed toward mainland Mexico.

Despite quickly diminishing from a Category 5 hurricane to a tropical storm, Felix sparked fears that the worst of its destruction is yet to come.

Nervous residents still remember Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which parked over Central America for days, causing flooding and mudslides that killed nearly 11,000 people and left more than 8,000 missing.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Felix could produce 25 inches of rain in some mountainous areas across the region. At least 8 to 12 inches are expected across much of Nicaragua and El Salvador, with 10 to 15 inches forecast for much of Honduras. [sorce: news.yahoo.com]

Felix, Urmasul lui Katrina ?