Floods Honduras

The International Red Cross on Monday said that it would need about $7.4 million to help victims of massive flooding and mudslides across Central America. Honduras and Nicaragua were particularly hard hit, with thousands of people feared dead and hundreds of thousands driven from their homes. In Washington, President Clinton said the U.S. would provide $2 million in food, medicine, water and other emergency supplies.

Heavy rains this week have forced the evacuations of about 3,000 people and damaged important roads and bridges recently repaired after tropical storm Mitch. The damage to roads and bridges has limited access to seven northern cities, including San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba. The La Ceiba airport was closed for two days but reopened Thursday. Flooding destroyed 200 houses in El Progreso.

Torrential rains that have pelted Central America for two weeks threatened Honduras' major dam Saturday, forcing the evacuation of more than 100,000 people downstream. The entire region has suffered from massive flooding that has killed 13 people and destroyed millions of dollars' worth of crops and buildings, many in areas devastated by Tropical Storm Mitch less than a year ago.

Heavy flooding kept more than 15,000 people Wednesday from returning to homes swamped by three days of storms. At least 110 people have died and 263 are missing, authorities said. President Rafael L. Callejas announced preparations for a state of emergency in an 8,400-square-mile area in the northern Atlantic provinces of Yoro and Colon. He said experts estimated that damages will exceed $60 million. The Red Cross appealed for international assistance.