Hurricane Otto nears the coasts of Nicaragua and Costa Rica

Heavy rain was already causing flooding in some areas and the president announced that public employees would not have to work Thursday or Friday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm had regained hurricane strength late Wednesday night, with winds of 85 mph (140 kph), after fluctuating between tropical storm and hurricane status earlier this week.

Otto "could seriously jeopardize food security for small-holder farmers who rely on maize, beans, cocoa, honey, coffee and livestock for their livelihoods," said Jennifer Zapata, a regional director for Heifer International, a U.S.-based anti-poverty group.