Central America braces for another hurricane
Central America is bracing for second hurricane in as many weeks, after the National Hurricane Center upgraded Iota to a Category 4.
The storm was on Monday morning 170 miles southeast of Cabo Gracias Dios on the border of Niagara and Honduras with maximum sustained winds of 145 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. It was forecast to make landfall in the area on Monday night.
Central American countries have been reeling from the impact of Hurricane Eta which struck the continent less than two weeks ago, bringing widespread flooding and devastation.
Those in the path of Hurricane Iota, which became a hurricane on Sunday, were not the only ones comparing it to Hurricane Eta.
“It’s eerie that it’s similar in wind speed and also in the same area that Eta hit,” said Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman and meteorologist with the National Hurricane Center, was quoted as saying by The New York Times.
The storm’s impact will be felt “well before the center makes landfall,” Feltgen was quoted as saying.
Hurricane Eta caused disruption to the fruit industry, cutting Honduras' banana production in half and affecting the logistical operations of shipping companies.
Hurricane Iota comes amid the most active Atlantic storm seasons on record.