Skip to main content

Hurricane Eta crashes through Nicaragua as Category 4 storm heads towards the Gulf Coast and could eclipse Laura as the strongest system of the year

Hurricane Eta churned inland through northeast Nicaragua last night with devastating winds and rains that destroyed rooftops, caused rivers to overflow and left at least three people dead in the region.

The hurricane had sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph), according to the US National Hurricane Center, down from an overnight peak of 150 mph (240 kph).

Even before it made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, Honduras reported the first death after a mudslide trapped a 12-year-old girl in San Pedro Sula and two miners were killed in a mudslide in Bonanza, Nicaragua. 

Homes, roads and key infrastructure were battered by the force of the winds and thousands of people evacuated.

The deluge was so extreme in the northern Honduran city of El Progreso that a prison was flooded to waist level, a wall collapsed and the facility's 604 inmates were transferred to local gyms, police commissioner Juan Molina told local television.  

On Tuesday, about 60 fishermen were trapped out at sea in the eastern Mosquitia region of Honduras, according to Robin Morales, a representative of the local population.

So far, the Navy has not been able to attempt rescuing the fishermen due to the dangerous weather conditions, said Douglas Espinal, head of the fire of the fire department in the port of Puerto Lempira.  

View of a house with a damage roof and palm trees blowing in the wind as Hurricane Eta makes landfall in Bilwi, Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, yesterday

View of a house with a damage roof and palm trees blowing in the wind as Hurricane Eta makes landfall in Bilwi, Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, yesterday

A house that was evacuated amid amid heavy rains brought by Hurricane Eta, in Bilwi, Nicaragua is seen yesterday

A house that was evacuated amid amid heavy rains brought by Hurricane Eta, in Bilwi, Nicaragua is seen yesterday

Men ride motorbikes through a flooded street due to Hurricane Eta in San Pedro Sula, Honduras yesterday

Men ride motorbikes through a flooded street due to Hurricane Eta in San Pedro Sula, Honduras yesterday 

A woman works to recover a roof part damaged by Hurricane Eta in Wawa, Nicaragua yesterday

A woman works to recover a roof part damaged by Hurricane Eta in Wawa, Nicaragua yesterday

This GeoColor satellite image taken Tuesday and provided by NOAA, shows Hurricane Eta in the Caribbean Sea, arriving at Nicaragua's northern shore. Eta inched closer on Tuesday as a Category 4 storm

This GeoColor satellite image taken Tuesday and provided by NOAA, shows Hurricane Eta in the Caribbean Sea, arriving at Nicaragua's northern shore. Eta inched closer on Tuesday as a Category 4 storm

Tuesday night, the Category 2 hurricane crawled inland from the coast, about 45 miles (70 kilometers) west-southwest of coastal Puerto Cabezas or Bilwi, and it was moving west near 6 mph (9 kph).

Landfall came hours after it had been expected. Eta's eye had hovered just offshore through the night and Tuesday morning. 

The unceasing winds uprooted trees and ripped roofs apart, scattering corrugated metal through the streets of Bilwi, the main coastal city in the region. 

The city's regional hospital abandoned its building, moving patients to a local technical school campus.

'It was an intense night for everyone in Bilwi, Waspam and the communities along the northern coast,' Yamil Zapata, local Bilwi representative of the ruling Sandinista Front, told local Channel 4 Tuesday. 

People move their belongings due to Hurricane Eta in the community of El Progreso, Honduras yesterday

People move their belongings due to Hurricane Eta in the community of El Progreso, Honduras yesterday 

View of the Pedro de Tela beach during heavy winds caused by Eta Hurricane, at the Caribbean sea 186 miles north of Tegucigalpa, Honduras yesterday

View of the Pedro de Tela beach during heavy winds caused by Eta Hurricane, at the Caribbean sea 186 miles north of Tegucigalpa, Honduras yesterday

Heavy rains brought by Hurricane Eta, in Bilwi, Nicaragua yesterday

Heavy rains brought by Hurricane Eta, in Bilwi, Nicaragua yesterday 

Guillermo González, director of the country's emergency management agency, said in a news conference earlier that there were reports of corrugated metal roofs flying off homes, trees, poles and power lines falling and rivers rising in the coastal area.

About 10,000 people were in shelters in Bilwi and an equal number in smaller towns across the region, he said. The area had already been lashed with strong winds and heavy rain for hours.

Inland, about 100 miles (160 kms) west of where Eta made landfall, two gold miners were killed when a mountainside unleashed tons of mud. 

A third miner escaped the slide and sought help.  

People remain in a temporary shelter during heavy winds caused by Eta Hurricane at the Polideportivo in Tela, 186 miles north of Tegucigalpa yesterday

People remain in a temporary shelter during heavy winds caused by Eta Hurricane at the Polideportivo in Tela, 186 miles north of Tegucigalpa yesterday 

A group of people take shelter inside a school amid heavy rains brought by Hurricane Eta, in Bilwi, Nicaragua yesterday

A group of people take shelter inside a school amid heavy rains brought by Hurricane Eta, in Bilwi, Nicaragua yesterday 

A man fixes the roof of a home surrounded by floodwaters brought on by Hurricane Eta in Wawa, Nicaragua yesterday

A man fixes the roof of a home surrounded by floodwaters brought on by Hurricane Eta in Wawa, Nicaragua yesterday 

A woman takes cattle to a safe area yesterday in El Triunfo de la Cruz, Tela, Honduras

A woman takes cattle to a safe area yesterday in El Triunfo de la Cruz, Tela, Honduras

One body was recovered before rescuers had to suspend recovery efforts due to nightfall and fears that more slides could occur as the rain continued, said Lt. Cesar Malespin of the Bonanza Fire Department. He said recovery efforts would continue Wednesday.

The storm has been drenching neighboring Honduras with rains since at least Sunday and the country reported its first death attributed to Eta early Tuesday.

A 12-year-old girl died in a mudslide in San Pedro Sula, the main population center in northern Honduras, said Marvin Aparicio, director of the national system of incident commands for Honduras' emergency management agency.

In Honduras, there were at least 559 people affected by flooding who had to move to shelters or go to relatives' homes, he said. 

A woman and her daughter watches the big sea waves and heavy winds caused by Eta Hurricane, at Tela port in the Caribbean sea, 186 miles north of Tegucigalpa yesterday

A woman and her daughter watches the big sea waves and heavy winds caused by Eta Hurricane, at Tela port in the Caribbean sea, 186 miles north of Tegucigalpa yesterday 

A handout photo made available by the Honduran Fire Department that shows rescue work in a flooded area due to Hurricane Eta in the community of Saba, Honduras yesterday

A handout photo made available by the Honduran Fire Department that shows rescue work in a flooded area due to Hurricane Eta in the community of Saba, Honduras yesterday 

A resident checks a flooded street as Hurricane Eta approaches, in Tela, Honduras yesterday

A resident checks a flooded street as Hurricane Eta approaches, in Tela, Honduras yesterday 

A family rests in a shelter a day they had their shacks and houses flooded by the overflow of the river Lancetilla yesterday in Tela, Honduras

A family rests in a shelter a day they had their shacks and houses flooded by the overflow of the river Lancetilla yesterday in Tela, Honduras

At least 25 people had been rescued, he said. His agency reported at least six rivers causing significant flooding.

Nicaragua's army moved red-helmeted troops specialized in search and rescue to Bilwi, the main coastal city in an otherwise remote and sparsely populated area.

This could be only the beginning of Eta's destruction. The storm was forecast to spend much of the week meandering over Central America.

Forecasters said central and northern Nicaragua and much of Honduras could get 15 to 25 inches (380 to 635 millimeters) of rain, with 35 inches (890 millimeters) in isolated areas. 

Heavy rains also were likely in eastern Guatemala, southern Belize and Jamaica.

The quantities of rain expected drew comparisons to 1998's Hurricane Mitch, one of the most deadly Atlantic hurricanes in history. 

An archival report from the National Hurricane Center said Mitch led to the deaths of more than 9,000 people.

Eta tripled in strength in about 24 hours, rapidly intensifying from a 40 mph (65 kph) storm Sunday morning to a 120 mph (190 kph) hurricane around midday Monday, and continuing to gain power throughout the day.

It is the eighth Atlantic storm this season to hit the meteorologists' definition for rapid intensification — a gain of 35 mph (56 kph) in wind speed in just 24 hours. It's also the fifth to reach major hurricane status. 

Over the past couple of decades, meteorologists have been increasingly worried about storms that just blow up in strength.

Eta is the 28th named Atlantic storm this season, tying the 2005 record for named storms. It's the first time the Greek letter Eta has been used as a storm name because after the 2005 season ended, meteorologists went back and determined a storm that should have been named wasn't.

Hurricane season still has a month to go, ending 30 November.

In 2005, Zeta formed toward the end of December.

Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o