Hurricane Iota Slams Ashore As Category 4 Storm Near Where Eta Made Landfall 2 Weeks Ago
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) — Iota made landfall along the northeast Nicaragua Coast late Monday night as a strong Category 4 hurricane, packing winds of up to 155 mph.
The powerful storm struck an area just 15 miles south of where Hurricane Eta made landfall about 2 weeks ago.
Iota will continue moving west through northern Nicaragua, southern Honduras, and San Salvador over the next couple of days as it steadily weakens.
Flash flooding could be catastrophic in the coming days as Central America is inundated with torrential rainfall and even mudslides. Rainfall amounts between 10 and 20 inches are anticipated as the storm wraps up, with isolated amounts near 30-inches for Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize, and Guatemala.
Iota is the strongest November storm to ever hit Nicaragua. This is also the latest a storm has ever gained Category 5 strength in recorded history. Iota reached Category 5 status Monday morning before weakening a bit upon landfall.
Currently, there are no new areas of tropical development. The Atlantic Hurricane Season officially concludes November 30.
