BILWI – Storm Iota made landfall in Nicaragua as a “catastrophic” Category 5 hurricane, as areas devastated by Hurricane Eta two weeks ago were threatened with more drenching rains and fierce winds.
Authorities rushed to evacuate thousands of people from coastal areas of Nicaragua and Honduras, which is in the immediate path of the maximum-level hurricane.
The storm had already left one person dead as it swept the Colombian Caribbean island territory of Providencia, where it caused widespread damage.
US forecasters at the National Hurricane Centre warned of “catastrophic winds, life-threatening storm surge and torrential rainfall... in Central America”.
It was packing maximum sustained winds of 260kph with higher gusts recorded.
This year’s Atlantic hurricane season has seen the most named storms on record, with 30 storms and 13 hurricanes. – AFP, November 17, 2020
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