Tropical Storm Eta lashes Florida after slamming Cuba At least one person was killed in Honduras, with over 100 people feared dead in Guatemala, after it hit Central America as a Category 4 hurricane. [40] Eta bottomed out with winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) before restrengthening as it began its extratropical transition. Eta had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph when it struck on Lower … They urged residents to secure their boats and encouraged visitors to consider altering plans until Eta had passed. [97] Overall, Eta caused C$6.128 billion (US$178.4 million) of damage in Nicaragua. [35] Eta than began to accelerate north-northeast around the western periphery of a deep-layer subtropical ridge as its the center reformed under this convection and an eye feature formed. All lanes of Interstate 95 near the city were closed due to flooding. [108] The village of Queja near San Cristobal Verapaz in the center of the country was particularly hard-hit, with a landslide burying 150 homes. The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued tropical storm warnings for southern Florida and the Florida Keys, and warnings were issued for central Cuba; parts of southern Florida and the Keys were even put under a hurricane watch. [48] Residents in coastal communities were advised to evacuate as supplies, including 88 tons of food, sleeping bags, hygiene kits, and plastic, were delivered to Puerto Cabezas according to SINAPRED. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami declared hurricane and storm surge warnings for the Keys from Ocean Reef to the Dry Tortugas, including Florida Bay. [41][42] The storm completed its transition on November 13. [119], Eta brushed by the Cayman Islands just as it intensified back into a tropical storm, producing major impacts across the islands with Grand Cayman being hit the hardest. [120], Eta bought heavy rainfall in areas already dealing with overflowing rivers. . News 9:57 AM PST, November 10, 2020 - Inside Edition Staff . Accumulations generally exceeded 2.8 in (70 mm) with a maximum of 6.3 in (160 mm) in the La Unión Department. [106] Total economic losses in Honduras are estimated in excess of 125 billion lempiras (US$5 billion). Donations worth millions of USD had been given to affected countries to help recoveries. Authorities say 15 people are confirmed dead and at least 109 are missing in Guatemala, many of them in the landslide in San Cristobal Verapaz. [32] Eta then turned southwestward under the influence of a strong deep-layer ridge across the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, and near the US East Coast. [98] At least 457 homes were damaged by floodwaters, 41 communities were cut off by washed-out roads, and at least nine bridges were destroyed including one in La Ceiba. [43] On the next day, Eta was absorbed into another frontal system to the north. [22], Despite becoming extremely disorganized, Eta maintained its low-level circulation and began gradually turning northeastward, eventually moving back over the Caribbean Sea on November 6 and accelerating due to the influence of a developing mid- to upper-level trough over the Gulf of Mexico. Today, Eta moved on and is now a Tropical Depression heading northeast of Cuba. [83][84], According to the country's president, Alejandro Giammattei, at least 60% of the eastern city of Puerto Barrios was flooded with another 48 hours of rain expected. Landslides were expected in many areas due to saturated soils. [136], With assistance from CONRED (Coordinadora Nacional para la Reducción de Desastres), the Government of Guatemala focused relief efforts in the departments of Izabal, Petén, and Alta Verapaz. [47], With the threat of 14–21 feet (4.3–6.4 m) of storm surge along the coastline, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega issued a yellow alert for the departments of Jinotega, Nueva Segovia, and the North Caribbean Autonomous Region on October 31, which were upgraded to a red alert by November 2. Hurricane Eta downgraded to Tropical Storm and could reach Cuba and Florida. Some weakening took place as the system made landfall near Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, late that same day. The system rapidly organized as it progressed west, with the cyclone ultimately becoming a Category 4 hurricane on November 3. . The Hurricane Center said Eta was located about 60 miles (95 kilometers) southwest of Canagua, Cuba, Sunday morning and was moving north-northeast at 12 mph (19 kph). In Charlotte, North Carolina, more than 140 people were rescued from a school when floodwaters reached the first-floor windows. [28] Eta weakened slightly after making landfall in Cuba's Sancti Spíritus Province, but this was short-lived as it quickly moved back over water in the Atlantic Ocean and began to re-strengthen again as it turned sharply northwestward around the northeastern side of an upper-level low that has formed over the extreme northwestern Caribbean Sea near the Isle of Youth. The Indigenous community of about 1,200 residents consisted of simple homes of wood and tin roofs clinging to the mountainside. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. [135] The agency began relief operations on November 4 in Nicaragua, and soon expanded to neighboring nations. The Autonomous Executive Port Commission considered temporarily closing the El Salvador International Airport due to Eta. [82] Among the dead were at least four people, including three children, who were killed in the mountains outside the north coast city of Tela due to different landslides. [136] By November 7, Taiwan and the United States collectively provided US$320,000 in funding to Guatemala to purchase food and water. It soon became extratropical and dissipated off the Eastern United States the next day. [132] Losses statewide were estimated at US$1 billion. One person was killed in Florida after being electrocuted in floodwaters from Eta. [65], On November 6, the Government of Cuba issued a tropical storm watch for the provinces of Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Matanzas, La Habana, Havana, Pinar del Rio, and the Isle of Youth. Eta hit Cuba even as searchers in Guatemala were still digging for people believed buried by a massive, rain-fueled landslide. All rights reserved. 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