Hurricane Eta hits Nicaragua as Cat 4. It could weaken but turn toward Cuba, Florida
After hovering offshore for hours, Hurricane Eta, an “extremely severe” Category 4 storm, crashed into the coast of Nicaragua Tuesday afternoon, bringing intense storm surge, winds and rain.
At least one person, a 13-year-old girl, has died in Honduras as a result of the powerful storm, according to La Tribuna. Damage is expected to be widespread and severe from a storm that could bring up to 21 feet of storm surge and 35 inches of rain in the hardest-hit spots.
The storm’s next move also could get South Florida’s attention. A U-turn back into the Caribbean Sea as a weakened tropical depression is expected and, on Tuesday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center put Florida in the cone of uncertainty for the first time.
As of 10 p.m. Tuesday, Eta had weakened to a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds and was crawling west at 6 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was about 45 miles west-southwest of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua.
Forecasters expect the storm will weaken as it moves farther inland over northern Nicaragua and will be back to a tropical depression by the time it moves across central portions of Honduras on Thursday and Guatemala on Friday.
Tuesday night, the hurricane center appeared more confident that Eta would indeed head toward Florida later in the week.
“Regardless of the exact formation, the global and regional models are all in good agreement on a tropical or subtropical cyclone developing and moving across Cuba and toward Florida on days 4 and 5,” forecasters wrote.
How will Hurricane Eta affect Central America?
Forecasters expect the storm will bring “a catastrophic and life-threatening storm surge, along with destructive waves” along portions of Nicaragua’s northeastern coast near and to the north of where Eta’s center made landfall.
The hurricane center said water levels could reach as high as 14 to 21 feet above normal tide levels in some parts of the hurricane-warning area.
Eta’s heavy rains will also lead to “catastrophic, life-threatening flash flooding and river flooding across portions of Central America, along with landslides in areas of higher terrain,” forecasters wrote. “Flash and river flooding is also possible across Jamaica, southeast Mexico, El Salvador, southern Haiti, and the Cayman Islands.”
Nicaragua and Honduras will get the worst of the rain, with 15 to 25 inches of rainfall expected, with isolated areas possibly seeing up to 35 inches of rain, according to the hurricane center.
Hurricane Eta Watches/Warnings
▪ A hurricane warning is in effect from the coast of Nicaragua from the Honduras-Nicaragua border to Sandy Bay Sirpi.
▪ A hurricane watch and tropical storm warning is in effect from the northeastern coast of Honduras from Punta Patuca to the Honduras-Nicaragua border. A tropical-storm warning is in place from south of Sandy Bay Sirpi to Laguna de Perlas.
▪ A tropical-storm watch is in effect from the northern coast of Honduras from west of Punta Patuca to Punta Castilla.
