Ida soaks Nicaragua, nearing Honduras

MIAMI, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Tropical depression Ida was heading north away from Honduras Friday night with forecasters saying the one-time hurricane could rejuvenate itself.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami warned people in the Cayman Islands, the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and western Cuba to monitor the storm's progress.

At 10 p.m. EST, Ida was about 110 miles east-northeast of Limon, Honduras, moving to the north at about 7 mph. It was producing maximum sustained winds of near 35 mph with higher gusts.

The storm could strengthen to tropical storm status by Saturday, the forecasters said. It was expected to make a turn toward the north-northwest Saturday, bringing it near the Yucatan channel late Sunday.

The projections show Ida could impact the coastal U.S. states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama or Florida in about a week.

Ida dropped nearly 20 inches of rain on Nicaragua and Honduras.