Hurricane Eta was a deadly and erratic
Category 4 hurricane that devastated parts of
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
in early November 2020. The record-tying twenty-eighth
named storm
Tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones are named by various warning centers to simplify communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings. The names are intended to reduce confusion in the ...
, thirteenth
hurricane
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
, and sixth major hurricane of the extremely-active
2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Eta originated from a vigorous
tropical wave
A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...
in the eastern
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
on October 31. The system rapidly organized as it progressed west, with the cyclone ultimately becoming a Category 4 hurricane on November 3. With a peak intensity of 150 mph (240 km/h) and 922
mbar
The bar is a metric unit of pressure, but not part of the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as exactly equal to 100,000 Pa (100 kPa), or slightly less than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea lev ...
(
hPa HPA may refer to:
Organizations
* Harry Potter Alliance, a charity
* Halifax Port Authority, Canada
* Hamburg Port Authority, Germany
* Hawaii Preparatory Academy, a school in Hawaii, US
* Health Protection Agency, UK
* Heerespersonalamt, the Ger ...
; 27.23
inHg
Inch of mercury (inHg and ″Hg) is a non- SI unit of measurement for pressure. It is used for barometric pressure in weather reports, refrigeration and aviation in the United States.
It is the pressure exerted by a column of mercury in heigh ...
), it was the third most intense November
Atlantic hurricane on record, behind the
1932 Cuba hurricane and
Hurricane Iota
Hurricane Iota was a devastating late-season Category 4 hurricane, Category 4 Atlantic hurricane which caused severe damage to areas of Central America already devastated by Hurricane Eta just less than two weeks prior. The 31st and final trop ...
, the latter of which formed just two weeks later. Some weakening took place as the system made
landfall
Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
near
Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua
Puerto Cabezas (; en, Bragman's Bluff; miq, Bilwi) is a municipality and city in Nicaragua. It is the capital of Miskito nation in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region.
The municipality and the entire region are native American lands. ...
, late that same day. Eta rapidly weakened to a tropical depression and briefly degenerated to a remnant low as it meandered across Central America for two days, before regenerating into a tropical depression and moving north over water. The storm later reorganized over the Caribbean as it accelerated toward
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
on November 7, making a second landfall on the next day. Over the next five days, the system moved erratically, making a third landfall in the
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...
, on November 9, before slowing down and making a counterclockwise loop in the southern
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
, just off the coast of Cuba, with the storm's intensity fluctuating along the way. After briefly regaining hurricane strength on November 11, the system weakened back to a tropical storm once more, before making a fourth landfall on Florida on the next day, and proceeding to accelerate northeastward. Eta subsequently became
extratropical
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
on November 13, before dissipating off the coast of the Eastern United States on the next day.
Hurricane and tropical storm watches and warnings were issued along the coast of
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
and
Northeastern Nicaragua as Eta approached. Once inland, Eta produced torrential rainfall and catastrophic wind, flood and storm surge damage across
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
. Eta was responsible for at least 175 deaths and over 100 others missing, and an estimated $8.3 billion (2020 USD) in storm related damages—primarily in Central America—were reported as of December 2020.
Once the system began to reorganize in the Caribbean, tropical storm watches were issued on November 5, in the
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...
. More watches were issued in parts of Cuba, the northwestern
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
, and
South Florida
South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...
. Eta brought heavy rainfall and gusty winds to the Cayman Islands and Cuba, the latter of which was already dealing with overflowing rivers that prompted evacuations. Heavy rainfall and tropical-storm force winds were recorded across all of the Florida Keys, South Florida and the southern half of Central Florida, bringing widespread flooding. Eta's second approach and landfall brought storm surge and gusty winds to the west coast of Central Florida and supplemental rainfall to northern Florida. Moisture from the storm also combined with a
cold front
A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface trough of low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropical cyclone (to the west in the Norther ...
further to the north bringing heavy rainfall and flash flooding to the
Carolinas
The Carolinas are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east.
Combining Nort ...
and
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
.
Relief efforts for those affected by the storm were extensive and widespread, involving several countries. Central America was already facing a humanitarian crisis which was further impacted by Hurricane Eta. Approximately 2.5 million were affected by the storm, including 1.7 million in Honduras. Many Emergency Response Units were to be dispatched globally to help support affected people. About 98 tons of food and water were given to Nicaragua and Honduras from Panama. People left homeless were moved to various shelters after the storm had passed. Donations worth millions of
USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
have been given to affected countries to help recoveries. However, just two weeks later, relief efforts were greatly hampered by
Hurricane Iota
Hurricane Iota was a devastating late-season Category 4 hurricane, Category 4 Atlantic hurricane which caused severe damage to areas of Central America already devastated by Hurricane Eta just less than two weeks prior. The 31st and final trop ...
, which further worsened the disaster in the region.
Meteorological history
Eta developed from a
tropical wave
A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...
that moved off the west coast of Africa around October 22. The system slowly moved westward across the tropical Atlantic, accompanied by a large area of disorganized cloudiness, showers, and thunderstorms.
The
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 3 ...
(NHC) began monitoring the disturbance for potential development into a tropical cyclone on October 29, as it moved across the
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...
and into the eastern
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
. On October 30, the disturbance moved west-northwestward and gradually became better organized. This allowed for deep
convection
Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convec ...
to become more consolidated going into October 31. By 18:00 UTC on that day, the system's deep convection had consolidated and a low-level circulation had become sufficiently well-defined, marking the formation of Tropical Depression Twenty-Nine centered about 105 mi (165 km) south of
Pedernales, Dominican Republic
The Dominican city of Pedernales is the capital of the Pedernales Province, in the Dominican Republic. It is located in the southwest of the country, on the Dominican Republic–Haiti border, and has a crossing to the Haitian town of Anse-à- ...
. The depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Eta by 00:00 UTC on November 1, becoming the earliest 28th tropical or subtropical storm on record in an
Atlantic hurricane season
The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year from June through November when tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Ocean, referred to in North American countries as hurricanes, tropical storms, or tropical depressions. In addition ...
, surpassing the old mark of December 30, set by
Tropical Storm Zeta The name Zeta has been used for two tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean.
* Tropical Storm Zeta (2005), post-season storm that formed on December 30, and continued into January 2006
* Hurricane Zeta
Hurricane Zeta was a late-season ma ...
in
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
.
Steered westward by a low-to-mid-level
ridge
A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...
that extended from the subtropical Atlantic southwestward to
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
and
The Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
, Eta slowly organized throughout the day as a
central dense overcast
The central dense overcast, or CDO, of a tropical cyclone or strong subtropical cyclone is the large central area of thunderstorms surrounding its circulation center, caused by the formation of its eyewall. It can be round, angular, oval, or irr ...
began to form atop its low-level center. Surrounded by an environment of low vertical shear and high sea surface temperatures, Eta began to
explosively intensify on November 2. It became a hurricane by 06:00 UTC that day, while located about 310 mi (500 km) south of Grand Cayman.
Nine hours later, it strengthened into a high-end Category 2 hurricane as a small pinhole
eye became apparent in visible satellite imagery. Its sustained winds increased to Category 4 intensity by 18:00 UTC that day, an increase of 50 mph (85 km/h) in about 12 hours. Eta's maximum sustained winds peaked at 150 mph (240 km/h) at 00:00 UTC on November 3; at the same time, the storm had a central pressure of 929 mbar (27.43 inHg). Eta then begun to slow down and turn southwestward in response to a mid-level ridge over the over the western
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
and Mexico. Even so, its maximum sustained winds remained unchanged through 06:00 UTC, during which time its minimum pressure fell to 922 mbar (27.23 inHg), with the storm reaching its peak intensity.
''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' reported that several meteorologists believed that Eta peaked as a Category 5 hurricane based on
satellite imagery estimates, as well as a lack of aircraft observations due to several mechanical issues; however, in their post-season report, the NHC determined that Eta peaked as a -Category 4 hurricane.
Despite remaining in a very favorable environment, Eta began to weaken soon thereafter, due to an
eyewall replacement cycle
In meteorology, eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones, generally with winds greater than , or major hurricanes ( Category 3 or above). When tropical cyclones reach this int ...
. After drifting just offshore of the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua for several hours on November 3,
the hurricane made
landfall
Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
just as it completed its eyewall replacement cycle at 21:00 UTC about 15 mi (25 km) south-southwest of
Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua
Puerto Cabezas (; en, Bragman's Bluff; miq, Bilwi) is a municipality and city in Nicaragua. It is the capital of Miskito nation in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region.
The municipality and the entire region are native American lands. ...
, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 km/h). A
storm surge
A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the n ...
of was reported at landfall.
Once inland, the hurricane rapidly weakened as it moved slowly westward over northern Nicaragua, diminishing to Category 2 intensity three hours after landfall, and to a tropical storm by 12:00 UTC on November 4. Twelve hours later, around 00:00 UTC on November 5, Eta weakened to a tropical depression while its center was located about 80 mi (130 km) east of
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa (, , ), formally Tegucigalpa, Municipality of the Central District ( es, Tegucigalpa, Municipio del Distrito Central or ''Tegucigalpa, M.D.C.''), and colloquially referred to as ''Tegus'' or ''Teguz'', is the capital and largest city ...
, Honduras. By 06:00 UTC that morning, the storm degenerated into a remnant low, though it maintained its low-level vorticity maximum.
Operationally, the NHC continued issuing advisories on "Tropical Depression Eta" due to uncertainties about whether or not the surface circulation had dissipated.
The remnants of Eta emerged into the
Gulf of Honduras
The Gulf or Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. From north to south, it runs for approximately 200 km (125 miles) from Dangriga, Belize, to La Ceiba, Honduras. ...
around 00:00 UTC on November 6, and then, six hours later, regenerated into a tropical depression east of Belize, due to the steering influence of a developing mid- to upper-level trough over the Gulf of Mexico. The system re-strengthened into a tropical storm by 00:00 UTC on November 7 and accelerated east-northeastward later that day.
Despite the effects of southwesterly vertical wind shear and upper-level dry air approaching the inner core from the west, the storm attained an intensity of 65 mph (100 km/h) at 00:00 UTC on November. It then moved counterclockwise along the periphery of a broad deep-layer cyclonic circulation. This movement took Eta across the southern coast of Cuba, about 30 mi (45 km) south-southeast of
Sancti Spíritus
Sancti Spíritus () is a municipality and capital city of the province of Sancti Spíritus Province, Sancti Spíritus in central Cuba and one of the oldest Cuban European settlements. Sancti Spíritus is the genitive case of Latin language, Lat ...
, at 09:00 UTC on November 8, with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h). It emerged off the north coast of Cuba into the
Straits of Florida
The Straits of Florida, Florida Straits, or Florida Strait ( es, Estrecho de Florida) is a strait located south-southeast of the North American mainland, generally accepted to be between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, and between th ...
six hours later.
There, it began to re-strengthen again, and briefly gained a mid-level
eye feature, as it turned sharply northwestward around the northeastern side of an upper-level low that had formed over the extreme northwestern Caribbean Sea near the
Isle of Youth
Isla de la Juventud (; en, Isle of Youth) is the second-largest Cuban island (after Cuba's mainland) and the seventh-largest island in the West Indies (after mainland Cuba itself, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Andros Isla ...
.
The storm continued to move along this course through early on November 9. Eta made its third landfall around 04:00 UTC that morning near
Lower Matecumbe Key
Lower Matecumbe Key is an island in the upper Florida Keys, United States, located on U.S. 1 between mile markers 75–78.
All of the key is within the Village of Islamorada as of November 4, 1997, when it was incorporated.
It is home to the mai ...
in the
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...
with sustained winds of near 65 mph (100 km/h), and then moved westward into the Gulf of Mexico.
Eta then turned southwestward under the influence of a strong deep-layer ridge across the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, and near the
East Coast of the U.S. Its overall appearance in satellite imagery from that morning was fragmented, with inner-core convection having become shallow and broken due to dry air. This caused the storm to weaken and its radius of gale-force winds to shrink. It made a cyclonic loop to the north of the western tip of Cuba on November 10, with little change in strength. It then moved northward on November 11, briefly regaining hurricane intensity around 12:00 UTC, and simultaneously reaching its second peak intensity with sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 983 mbar (29.03 inHg).
The eye feature quickly dissipated, weakening Eta back to a tropical storm six hours later, when its center was located about 115 mi (180 km) south-southwest of
Tarpon Springs, Florida
Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 23,484 at the 2010 census. Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US. Downtown Tarpon Springs has long been a focal po ...
. It then turned north-northeastward and made a final landfall near
Cedar Key, Florida at 09:00 UTC on November 12, with sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). The storm further degraded and weakened over land as it accelerated northeastward, eventually emerging over the waters of the Atlantic near the Florida–
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
border at 18:00 UTC that same day. The system regained some of its lost intensity once back over water and it accelerated east-northeastward as it began its extratropical transition. By 09:00 UTC on November 13, while located near the coast of the
Carolinas
The Carolinas are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east.
Combining Nort ...
, it became an
extratropical low
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
. On the next day, Eta was absorbed by another frontal system to the north.
Preparations
Central America
Early on November 1, the governments of
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
and
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
issued
Hurricane Watch
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local popul ...
es and Warnings for the northeastern coast of Honduras from Punta Patuca to the
Honduras–Nicaragua border
The Honduras–Nicaragua border is the roughly international boundary between Honduras and Nicaragua, running from the Gulf of Fonseca on the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. The Coco River, which flows generally northeast to the Caribbean, ...
and the northeastern coast of Nicaragua from the Honduras–Nicaragua border to Puerto Cabezas, respectively.
Later that day, a hurricane warning was issued from the Honduras–Nicaragua border to Sandy Bay Sirpi while a tropical storm warning was issued for areas from Punta Patuca to the Honduras–Nicaragua border. A tropical storm watch was also issued from west of Punta Patuca westward to Punta Castilla late that same day.
Nicaragua
With the threat of of storm surge along the coastline, Nicaraguan President
Daniel Ortega
José Daniel Ortega Saavedra (; born 11 November 1945) is a Nicaraguans, Nicaraguan revolutionary and politician serving as President of Nicaragua since 2007. Previously he was leader of Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, first as coordinator of the ...
issued a yellow alert for the departments of
Jinotega
Jinotega () (derived from Náhuatl: ''Xiotenko'' ‘place next to the jiñocuajo trees’) is the capital city of the Department of Jinotega in north-central Nicaragua.
The city is located in a long valley surrounded by the cool climate and D ...
,
Nueva Segovia, and the
North Caribbean Autonomous Region on October 31, which were upgraded to a red alert by November 2. 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 Nicaragua's National System for the Prevention, Mitigation and Attention of Disaster. The
Nicaraguan Navy
The Nicaraguan Navy, officially the Naval Force of the Nicaraguan Army, ( es, Fuerza Naval del Ejercito de Nicaragua) is the naval service branch of the Nicaraguan Armed Forces. The navy's mission is to ensure the defense and security of the is ...
helped evacuate more than 3,000 families from offshore islands to Puerto Cabezas as residents in the city waited in long lines to access cash machines while getting supplies. Just before the storm's arrival, the
Nicaraguan Army
The Nicaraguan Armed Forces are the military forces of Nicaragua. There are three branches: the Navy, the Army, and Air Force.
History
National Guard, 1925–1979
The long years of strife between the liberal and conservative political faction ...
moved its Humanitarian and
SAR
SAR or Sar may refer to:
Places
* Sar (river), Galicia, Spain
* Sar, Bahrain, a residential district
* Sar, Iran (disambiguation), several places in Iran
* Sar, Tibet, Tibet Autonomous Region of China
* Šar Mountains, in southeastern Europe
...
Unit (Unidad Humanitaria y de Rescate - UHR in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
) to
Bilwi
Puerto Cabezas (; en, Bragman's Bluff; miq, Bilwi) is a municipality and city in Nicaragua. It is the capital of Miskito nation in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region.
The municipality and the entire region are native American lands. ...
, Puerto Cabezas, to help in search and rescue efforts that would occur due to Eta. More than 10,000 people sought refuge at shelters in Puerto Cabezas and surrounding villages.
Honduras
A red alert was placed for Honduran departments of
Gracias a Dios,
Colón,
Atlántida,
Islas de la Bahía, and
Olancho
Olancho is the largest of all the 18 departments into which Honduras is divided. The department covers a total surface area of 24,057 km² and has an estimated 2015 population of 537,306 inhabitants.
The departmental capital is Juticalpa, ...
while a yellow alert was declared for
Santa Bárbara,
Francisco Morazán
José Francisco Morazán Quesada (; born October 3, 1792 – September 15, 1842) was a Central American politician who served as president of the Federal Republic of Central America from 1830 to 1839. Before he was president of Central America h ...
,
Comayagua,
El Paraíso,
Yoro
Yoro, with a population of 25,560 (2020 calculation), is the capital city of the Yoro Department of Honduras and the municipal seat of Yoro Municipality. It is notable for a local event known as Lluvia de Peces, where it is claimed that strong ...
, and
Cortés. A green alert was issued for
Copán
Copán is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization in the Copán Department of western Honduras, not far from the border with Guatemala. This ancient Maya city mirrors the beauty of the physical landscape in which it flourished—a fert ...
,
Ocotepeque
Ocotepeque is a municipality in the Honduran department of Ocotepeque. The town of Nueva Ocotepeque is the municipal seat and the capital of the department.
The department borders two countries, Guatemala and El Salvador and covers 1,630  ...
,
Lempira,
Intibucá,
La Paz
La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...
,
Valle
Valle may refer to:
* Valle (surname)
Geography
*"Valle", the cultural and climatic zone of the dry subtropical Interandean Valles of the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, and northwest Argentina
*University of Valle, a public university in Cali, Colombia ...
, and
Choluteca. The
Honduran Air Force
The Honduras Air Force ( es, Fuerza Aérea Hondureña, sometimes abbreviated to FAH in English) is the air force of Honduras. As such it is the air power arm of the Honduras Armed Forces.
History
The first Honduras military flying took place ...
prepared two planes to send 4,000 pounds of food to
La Mosquitia, Gracias a Dios. The
National Police of Honduras
The National Police of Honduras (founded 5 January 1888) is the uniformed police force of the Republic of Honduras. The force is organised into regional headquarters, municipal headquarters, headquarters of fixed or mobile stations, and police po ...
was tasked to advise passengers of roadways blocked by a landslide or flooding. More than 20,000 pounds of food was stored at the Offices of Risk Management and National Contingencies in
San Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sula () is the capital of Cortés Department, Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country in the Sula Valley, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean Sea. With a population of 671,460 ...
, ahead of the storm. The national "
feriado morazánico" holiday was also canceled.
El Salvador
The Civil Protection Directorate of El Salvador evacuated residents in
Tecoluca after setting up 1,152 shelters across the country. The Autonomous Executive Port Commission considered temporarily closing the
El Salvador International Airport
El Salvador International Airport Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional de El Salvador San Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez), , previously known as Comalapa International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional d ...
due to Eta. The Executive Hydroelectric Commission of the Lempa River cleared pipes to prevent flooding in communities along the river.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica's National Meteorological Institute forecast widespread rainfall in association with the outer bands of Eta, primarily along the Pacific coastline. With flooding beginning during the overnight hours of November 2, the National Emergency Commission (NCE) established multiple shelters for evacuees. The agency planned to set up three types of shelters due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
: infected persons, suspected infected persons, and non-infected persons. Landslides were expected in many areas due to saturated soils.
Panama
Although not in the direct path of Eta, the fringe effects of the hurricane were expected to cause disruptions in Panama. Seagoing vessels were alerted to dangerous swells in Caribbean waters along with wind gusts up to . The Ministry of Public Works advised residents to stay vigilant for possible flooding and landslides. MPO road crews were dispatched to ensure highways remained clear for travel.
Belize
As flooding was a major threat because of heavy rainfalls, a flood warning was issued for all of
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
in preparation for Eta as the National Emergency Management Organization urged residents to evacuate.
Caribbean
Cayman Islands
As the projected path for Eta showed the system coming close to Grand Cayman, a tropical storm watch and a flood warning were put into effect for Grand Cayman and all islands of the Cayman Islands on November 5. The watch became tropical storm warning the following day as Tropical Storm Eta moved closer. Government schools were closed in the islands, as were ports in
George Town, Grand Cayman and Creek,
Creek, Cayman Brac.
Cuba
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
Cienfuegos (), capital of Cienfuegos Province, is a city on the southern coast of Cuba. It is located about from Havana and has a population of 150,000. Since the late 1960s, Cienfuegos has become one of Cuba's main industrial centers, especial ...
,
Matanzas,
La Habana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. ,
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. ,
Pinar del Rio
Pinar may refer to:
* Pınar, Turkish feminine given name
* Píñar, municipality located in the province of Granada, Spain
* Pinar del Río, a city of Cuba
* Pinar del Río Province, a province of Cuba
* Pinar, Albania, village in Tirana County ...
, and the Isle of Youth. Later that day, these were upgraded to tropical storm warnings in some provinces.
The Bahamas
Late on November 6, the government of
the Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for its northwestern islands, including:
the Abacos,
Andros
Andros ( el, Άνδρος, ) is the northernmost island of the Greek Cyclades archipelago, about southeast of Euboea, and about north of Tinos. It is nearly long, and its greatest breadth is . It is for the most part mountainous, with many fr ...
,
Berry Islands
The Berry Islands are a chain of islands and a district of the Bahamas, covering about of the northwestern part of the Out Islands.
The Berry Islands consist of about thirty islands and over one hundred small islands or cays, often referred t ...
,
Bimini
Bimini is the westernmost district of the Bahamas and comprises a chain of islands located about due east of Miami. Bimini is the closest point in the Bahamas to the mainland United States and approximately west-northwest of Nassau. The popula ...
,
Eleuthera
Eleuthera () refers both to a single island in the archipelagic state of The Commonwealth of the Bahamas and to its associated group of smaller islands. Eleuthera forms a part of the Great Bahama Bank. The island of Eleuthera incorporates the ...
,
Grand Bahama
Grand Bahama is the northernmost of the islands of the Bahamas, with the town of West End located east of Palm Beach, Florida. It is the third largest island in the Bahamas island chain of approximately 700 islands and 2,400 cays. The island i ...
, and
New Providence. The next day, these watches were upgraded to tropical storm warnings.
United States
Florida
On November 6, tropical storm watches were issued for the Florida Keys and parts of the coast of the
Florida peninsula
A peninsula ( la, paeninsula from ''paene'' "almost" and ''insula'' "island") is a piece of land that is bordered mostly by water but connected to mainland. The surrounding water is usually understood to be continuous, though not necessarily nam ...
. The next day, these were upgraded to tropical storm warnings in the Florida Keys and the southern tip of the peninsula. On November 7, Hurricane Watches and Warnings were issued parallelly for much of the Florida peninsula and both Tropical Storm Warnings and Watches were extended further north. Residents of mobile homes and other vulnerable structures in the Florida Keys were told to evacuate ahead of Tropical Storm Eta as a state of emergency was declared in several counties including
Monroe and
Miami-Dade
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most populous county in ...
. Later, Hurricane Warnings were issued for the Florida Keys. All the warnings for Florida were cancelled by November 9, only to have more issued the next day along the western side of the state as Eta changed directions.
Impact
Eta's intensity and catastrophic rainfall at the beginning of its lifetime followed by its erratic path afterwards bought widespread impacts across
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
, the
Greater Antilles
The Greater Antilles ( es, Grandes Antillas or Antillas Mayores; french: Grandes Antilles; ht, Gwo Zantiy; jam, Grieta hAntiliiz) is a grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and ...
, and
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
.
South America
Colombia
Despite passing north of the
San Andrés Island, part of the
archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina
The Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina ( es, Archipiélago de San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina, ), or San Andrés and Providencia, is one of the departments of Colombia, and the only one in North America. It cons ...
, Eta still brought considerable damage to the island. Wind speeds of downed the trees and damaged houses, and Eta also caused severe flooding on the island. Damage across the archipelago reached
COL$3 billion (US$777,000).
Across the archipelago, two people were injured and 141 families were affected. A total of 6 homes were destroyed while another 64 homes and 24 businesses suffered damage.
Central America
Nicaragua
As Eta neared landfall, its powerful winds downed power lines and uprooted trees while causing flooding and damaging roofs in Puerto Cabezas. A storm surge of was reported when Eta made landfall.
At the Getsemani School, where 215 people were sheltering, Eta's strong winds ripped 10 sheets of metal off the school's roof. There were no injures or fatalities in the incident. Significant rainfall occurred across much of Nicaragua, with a peak of 26.55 in (674.3 mm) reported at
Puerto Corinto on the country's northwest Pacific coast.
Eta was responsible for death of two people in the municipality of
Bonanza
''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...
died after they were buried in a landslide while working in a mine.
Overall, Eta caused
C$6.128 billion (US$178.4 million) of damage in Nicaragua.
Honduras
Hurricane Eta had disastrous effects on Honduras, largely due to catastrophic flooding. Flooding caused 559 residents to flee their homes and two others had to be rescued. An estimated 80 percent of the agricultural sector was reported as lost by the Ministry of Agricultural Livestock. 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
La Ceiba () is a municipality, the capital of the Honduran department of Atlántida (department), Atlántida and a port city on the northern coast of Honduras in Central America. It is located on the southern edge of the Caribbean, forming part ...
.
In La Ceiba, floodwaters rushed through streets, and the flooding also washed away a structure at a local cemetery. A ferry leaving
Roatán
Roatán () is an island in the Caribbean, about off the northern coast of Honduras. It is located between the islands of Utila and Guanaja, and is the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras. The island was formerly known in English as Ruatan ...
was rocked by large waves and winds with 300 passengers onboard while trying to reach the port of La Ceiba. Nobody was injured or killed on the ferry. 60 fishermen were lost at sea for days off the coast of Honduras before making it back to shore. The
Permanent Contingency Commission of Honduras reported that 14 roads and 339 homes were destroyed. In
Olanchito
Olanchito is a municipality in the department of Yoro, Honduras, and a town with a population of 45,270 as of 2020. The municipality was founded in 1530 and comprises 70 villages, approximately 300 hamlets, and approximately 100,000 inhabitants ...
, 12 people, including two newborns, were trapped. A wall collapsed at a prison in
El Progreso
El Progreso () is a city, with a population of 119,260 (2020 calculation), and a municipality located in the Honduran department of Yoro.
Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport of San Pedro Sula is located west of the city. To the eas ...
letting in waist-deep floodwaters, causing the evacuation of more than 600 inmates. At least 74 people have been killed across Honduras as a result of Eta, mainly due to landslides and drownings.
Among the dead were at least four people, including three children, who were killed in the mountains outside the north coast city of
Tela
Tela is a town, with a population of 38,030 (2020 calculation), and a municipality in Honduras on the northern Caribbean coast. It is located in the department of Atlantida.
History
Colonial era
Tela was founded by the Spanish conquistador ...
due to different landslides.
In
Santa Barbara, a 2-year-old girl was killed when she and her mother were swept away by floodwaters; the mother survived.
Four members of the same family died in the municipality of
Gualala due to heavy rains. A 13-year-old girl was killed when a mudflow caused her home to collapse in the village of Carmen.
In
Sulaco, a 15-year-old boy drowned while trying to cross a rain-swollen river. A 37-year-old man also drowned in
San Manuel, in the western part of the
Lempira Department
Lempira is one of the 18 departments in Honduras. located in the western part of the country, it is bordered by the departments of Ocotepeque and Copán to the west, Intibucá to the east, and Santa Bárbara to the north. To its south lies th ...
. Total economic losses in Honduras are estimated in excess of 125 billion
lempiras (US$5 billion).
Guatemala
According to the country's president,
Alejandro Giammattei
Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei Falla (; born 9 March 1956) is a Guatemalan politician who is serving as the president of Guatemala since 2020. He is a former director of the Guatemalan penitentiary system and participated in Guatemala's president ...
, at least 60% of the eastern city of
Puerto Barrios
Puerto Barrios () is a city in Guatemala, located within the Gulf of Honduras. The city is located on Bahia de Amatique. Puerto Barrios is the departmental seat of Izabal department and is the administrative seat of Puerto Barrios municipality.
...
was flooded with another 48 hours of rain expected. About 100 homes were damaged by flooding and landslides.
A bridge crossing the
Río Grande de Zacapa
The Río Grande de Zacapa is a river in Guatemala. From its sources in the southern mountain range in the departments of Zacapa and Chiquimula the river flows northwards until it reaches the Motagua River
The Motagua River () is a river in Gua ...
in
Jocotán
Jocotán is a town and municipality in the Chiquimula department of Guatemala.
Radio Chortis, a Roman Catholic radio station funded by Belgian and German Catholics, is located in the town. It broadcasts primarily in Spanish, but there are a few ...
was washed away. At least 53 people died across Guatemala, while an additional 96 remain missing.
An estimated 343,000 people were directly affected by the storm. The village of Queja near
San Cristobal Verapaz in the center of the country was particularly hard-hit, with a landslide burying 150 homes.
Over 100 people were buried from the landslide, and rescuers began searching them on November 9. However, the searching was called off two days later. Infrastructural damage were amounted to be exceed
Q3 billion (US$386 million).
El Salvador
Heavy rainfall affected much of El Salvador as Eta passed to the northeast. Accumulations generally exceeded with a maximum of in the
La Unión Department
La Unión () is a department of El Salvador. It is located in the eastern part of the country and its capital is La Unión. It covers a total of and has a population of 263,200. The department was created on June 22, 1865, and the city of L ...
. A total of 107 communities experienced power outages. Nationwide, 1,991 people required evacuation due to floods and landslides.
Despite a ban on fishing activities, one fisherman drowned off the coast of Playa El Espino in the
Usulután Department
Usulután (; from the Nawat language, meaning "city of the ocelots") is a department of El Salvador in the southeast of the country (Lenca region). The capital is Usulután.
Created on June 22, 1865, it is El Salvador's largest department. It h ...
.
Costa Rica
The outer bands of Hurricane Eta brought heavy rainfall to portions of Costa Rica. The heaviest rains were concentrated along the nation's Pacific coast, especially in
Guanacaste Province
Guanacaste () is a province of Costa Rica located in the northwestern region of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Alajuela Province to the east, and Puntarenas Province to the southeast. I ...
.
Multiple reports of flooding and landslides occurred nationwide, 12 rivers saw increased levels, prompting concern for further flooding, and 26 people required evacuation in
Corredores and
Parrita
Parrita is a canton and its only district in the Puntarenas province of Costa Rica.
Toponymy
The origin of the name, it is said, has to do with a woman named Rita who lived in one of the original settlements. Rita had a business and received pa ...
. In southern Costa Rica, a landslide onto a house killed two residents, a Costa Rican woman and an American man.
Preliminary damage in the nation were almost
₡10 billion (US$16.5 million).
Panama
The National Civil Protection System in Panama, Sinaproc, reported that 200 homes were damaged by rainfall, possibly associated with Eta. The highway that connects the province of Chiriquí with Bocas del Toro collapsed near Hornito, blocking the passage of vehicles in both directions. Flooding in Panama's
Chiriqui province, near the Costa Rica border killed 19 people.
Agricultural loss was estimated at US$11 million.
Belize
Hurricane Eta brought approximately 20 inches of rain to Belize causing severe flooding in
Cayo District and
Belize District
Belize District is a district of the nation of Belize. Its capital is Belize City.
Geography
Most of the Belize District is in the east central mainland of Belize; the Belize District also includes various offshore islands, including Amber ...
. The worst effects were felt in Cayo District, where the
Macal and
Mopan rivers rose more than , inundating communities from Arenal (on the border with
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
) to
Roaring Creek.
Residents in low-lying areas had to be evacuated from their homes.
Approximately 60,000 people in Belize were affected.
Mexico
At least 27 people died as heavy rains attributed to Eta caused swelled streams and rivers.
Over 80,000 people were affected in the Mexican states of Chiapas and Tabasco by rains of Hurricane Eta and a cold front. In the
Chiapas highlands, more than 2000 homes were destroyed. In
San Cristóbal de las Casas
San Cristóbal de las Casas (), also known by its native Tzotzil name, Jovel (), is a town and municipality located in the Central Highlands region of the Mexican state of Chiapas. It was the capital of the state until 1892, and is still cons ...
, many neighborhoods were damaged by the flooding Amarillo and Fogótico rivers. An increase of 1500 m
3s
−1 in flow at the
Peñitas Dam
The Peñitas Dam, also known as ''Ángel Albino Corzo'', is a dam with a hydro-electric power station on the river Rio Grijalva, 83 km south west of the city of Villahermosa, lying in the municipality of Ostuacán in the state of Chiapas in ...
prompted evacuation plans. In Tabasco, more than 10 rivers overflowed their banks.
Cayman Islands and Cuba
Eta brushed by the Cayman Islands just as it intensified back into a tropical storm, producing major impacts across the islands with
Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the location of the territory's capital, George Town. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles (121 km) southwest of Little Cayman and 90 miles ( ...
being hit the hardest. Wave action off the coast caused minor flooding on the coasts. Downed trees and tree branches also resulted. Power outages became widespread across the islands with tropical-storm force winds causing damage to power lines.
Eta bought heavy rainfall in areas already dealing with overflowing rivers. Coastal zones in
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
were also flooded and about 25,000 people were forced to evacuate.
United States
Florida
The outer bands of Eta brought tropical storm-force gusts to
South Florida
South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...
beginning on November 7. A peak wind gust of 53 mph was reported in these outer bands near
Dania Beach on November 7.
Florida Power & Light
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), the principal subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc. (formerly FPL Group, Inc.), is the largest power utility in Florida. It is a Juno Beach, Florida-based power utility company serving roughly 5 million customer ...
reported just over 30,000 power outages in the
Miami metropolitan area
The Miami metropolitan area (also known as Greater Miami, the Tri-County Area, South Florida, or the Gold Coast) is the ninth largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the 34th largest metropolitan area in the world with a ...
, including nearly 16,000 in
Miami-Dade County alone.
Overall, about 48,500 businesses and homes lost electricity throughout South Florida.
Heavy rainfall also impacted the region, with a peak total of in
Pembroke Pines
Pembroke Pines is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is located 22 miles (35 km) north of Miami. The population of Pembroke Pines is 171,178 as of the 2020 census. It is a suburb of and the fourth-most populous c ...
, while rain gauges elsewhere in Pembroke Pines and nearby
Miramar observed more than of precipitation. Street flooding occurred in
Broward, northern Miami-Dade, and
Monroe counties. One person was taken to the hospital in South Florida after being rescued from flooded roads.
In Brickell, recently installed storm water pumps to deal with
tidal flooding
Tidal flooding, also known as sunny day flooding or nuisance flooding, is the temporary inundation of low-lying areas, especially streets, during exceptionally high tide events, such as at full and new moons. The highest tides of the year may b ...
and storms helped clear the flood water from the rain and high tide event.
One of the state's largest
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
testing sites, at
Hard Rock Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I coll ...
in
Miami Gardens
Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is located north of Downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from I-95 and Northeast 2nd Avenue to its east to Northwest 47th and Northwest 57th Avenues to its west ...
, was flooded.
On November 11, a sailboat became lodged partially underneath the
Matlacha Bridge
The Matlacha Pass Bridge (pronounced "Mat-La-Shay") is a small single-leaf drawbridge located in Matlacha, Florida. It carries County Road 78 (Pine Island Road) over Matlacha Pass, connecting Pine Island with the mainland in Cape Coral.
The ...
, causing the bridge to be temporarily closed thus cutting off transportation to and from
Pine Island.
Around the same area two other boats sank due to turbulent surf caused by the storm and a dock at the Bridgewater Inn floated away.
A man died in
Bradenton Beach
Bradenton Beach is a city on Anna Maria Island in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The population was 908 at the 2020 census, down from 1,171 in 2010. It is part of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. ...
when he was electrocuted by an appliance in standing water caused by the storm and a firefighter was injured as he tried to access the home. Flooding in
Pinellas County
Pinellas County (, ) is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 959,107. The county is part of the Tampa–St. Petersburg– Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical ...
caused 33 people to be rescued by the
Pinellas County Sheriff Office from homes and roadways and in
Gulfport, five sailboats became unanchored and ran aground or were pushed up against a seawall.
An EF0 tornado also ripped the porch off a house in
Verna on November 11. Losses statewide were estimated at US$1 billion.
Officially, Eta made two landfalls in Florida - it hit the central part of the Florida Keys late Sunday, November 7, and made landfall again at about 4 a.m. Thursday, November 12, near
Cedar Key
Cedar Key is a city in Levy County, Florida, United States. The population was 702 at the 2010 census. The Cedar Keys are a cluster of islands near the mainland. Most of the developed area of the city has been on Way Key since the end of the 19th ...
, roughly 130 miles north of
Tampa
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...
.
The Carolinas and Virginia
Moisture from Eta combined with a cold front moving eastward across the
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, commonly referred to as the American East, Eastern America, or simply the East, is the region of the United States to the east of the Mississippi River. In some cases the term may refer to a smaller area or the East C ...
, generating extremely heavy rainfall across
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and
the Carolinas
The Carolinas are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east.
Combining Nor ...
. At least eleven
people were killed due to flooding in the Carolinas, including a child, while over 33 people were rescued in a flooded campground. In
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, more than 140 people were rescued from a school when floodwaters reached the first-floor windows. In
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats, seat of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County in the United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most ...
, multiple car accidents occurred due to slick roads. All lanes of
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...
near the city were closed due to flooding. Over of rain fell in some areas of North and South Carolina.
Aftermath
Much of Central America was already facing a humanitarian crisis, as an estimated 5.3 million people were in need of assistance as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to Hurricane Eta's destruction, the economic situation worsened and more people were left in need of aid. With damage from Hurricane Eta spanning the entirety of Central America, the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched a "massive, multi-country operation". An estimated 2.5 million people were directly affected by the storm, including 1.7 million in Honduras.
The agency began relief operations on November 4 in Nicaragua, and soon expanded to neighboring nations.
The IFRC dispatched a plane and two trucks carrying 98 tons of relief goods from Panama to Honduras and Nicaragua by November 10. Several Emergency Response Units stationed globally were to be dispatched to affected areas. An emergency appeal for 20 million
Swiss franc
The Swiss franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) issues banknotes and the f ...
s (US$22 million) was made to supplement local Red Cross activities in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
Numerous agencies coordinated with the IFRC to establish shelters and provide relief. The American, Swiss, Norwegian, Spanish, Italian, and German Red Cross were positioned to assist any operations.
Airbnb
Airbnb, Inc. ( ), based in San Francisco, California, operates an online marketplace focused on short-term homestays and experiences. The company acts as a broker and charges a commission from each booking. The company was founded in 2008 b ...
readied its Open Homes partnership in Honduras and Nicaragua, providing residents with free housing.
The relief effort was severely hampered just two weeks later by the stronger
Hurricane Iota
Hurricane Iota was a devastating late-season Category 4 hurricane, Category 4 Atlantic hurricane which caused severe damage to areas of Central America already devastated by Hurricane Eta just less than two weeks prior. The 31st and final trop ...
, which made landfall approximately 15 miles (25 km) south of where Eta moved ashore. Extreme rainfall and mudflows caused by the storm destroyed or damaged much of what was being rebuilt.
A member of Restoring Family Links was dispatched to Honduras for administrative assistance.
Soon after Eta made landfall,
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
's Earth Applied Sciences Disasters program began working with various regional authorities in Central America to use satellite images and data to help teams on the ground analyze the storm's impact as they rescued people in its path. Information was also shared when Iota developed and moved toward the region. In the aftermath of these successive hurricanes, NASA continues to provide information to help national and local authorities in the region
identify, assess and reduce the risks related to future hurricanes.
Nicaragua
Initial relief efforts in Nicaragua were stymied by extensive flooding and persistent rainfall. The Nicaraguan Red Cross coordinated distribution of supplies with the nation's government. By November 8, 14,362 people remained in shelters and required hygiene supplies. The Nicaraguan Government provided 88 tons of food to the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region, the hardest hit area.
The governments of Japan and Spain pledged to donate relief items.
Honduras
With extensive damage across the country, Honduras's Secretary of Infrastructure and Public Services and Institute for Community Development and Water and Sanitation divided relief operations into three zones. The Government of Honduras allocated US$2 million in funds and formally appealed for international aid on November 5. By November 7, more than 16,000 people had been rescued while 65,912 people remained isolated across 64 communities. The IFRC expressed concern over an increase in
post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...
, similar to what took place after
Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch is the second-deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, causing over 11,000 fatalities in Central America in 1998, including approximately 7,000 in Honduras and 3,800 in Nicaragua due to cataclysmic flooding from the slow motion ...
in
1998. Access to clean water was significantly disrupted due to high
turbidity
Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality.
Fluids can ...
and power outages, though 60% of service was restored by November 7.
Together, Hurricanes Eta and Iota killed around 100 Hondurans, and local analysts estimated the damage would cost the country more than $10 billion (
L244.1 billion) in damages.
Though distribution systems in some regions of Honduras collapsed after Hurricane Eta, some of the water, sanitation, and hygiene services (
WASH
WASH (or Watsan, WaSH) is an acronym that stands for "water, sanitation and hygiene". It is used widely by non-governmental organizations and aid agencies in developing countries. The purposes of providing access to WASH services include achievin ...
) have been restored as of June 2021.
The economy has slowly began to recover in the months after destruction.
Guatemala
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.
By November 7, Taiwan and the United States collectively provided US$320,000 in funding to Guatemala to purchase food and water. Israeli humanitarian aid agency
IsraAID's locally based team arrived in Alta Verapaz, on November 9 and provided psychological first aid, medical support, relief items, hygiene kits, and water filters.
Retirement
Due to the damage and loss of life in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala, the letter ''Eta'' was retired on March 17, 2021, at the joint 42nd and 43rd sessions of the RA IV hurricane committee, and will never be used again for an
Atlantic hurricane. The WMO also announced at the meeting that the Greek Alphabet would be discontinued and replaced with an auxiliary list consisting of 21
given name
A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...
s if the regular naming list is exhausted.
See also
*
Tropical cyclones in 2020
During 2020, tropical cyclones formed within seven different tropical cyclone basins, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the year, 141 tropical cyclones formed in bodies of water known as tropica ...
*
List of Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes
Category 4 hurricanes are tropical cyclones that reach Category 4 intensity on the Saffir–Simpson scale. Category 4 hurricanes that later attained Category 5 strength are not included in this list. The Atlantic basin inclu ...
*
List of Cuba hurricanes
Cuba is an island country east of the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, south of both the U.S. state of Florida and the Bahamas, west of Haiti and north of both Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. The country has experienced the effects of at least 54 ...
*
List of Florida hurricanes (2000–present)
;Storms with similar tracks or impacts
*
1906 Florida Keys hurricane – A destructive Category 3 hurricane that took a winding and erratic path across the Caribbean and Florida
*
1934 Central America hurricane – A Category 2 hurricane that caused catastrophic flooding across Central America
*
Hurricane Edith (1971)
Hurricane Edith was the strongest hurricane to form during the 1971 Atlantic hurricane season and formerly the southernmost landfalling Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic until 2007. Edith also stands as one of the only Category 5 ...
– A Category 5 hurricane that caused significant damage in Nicaragua
*
Hurricane Gordon (1994)
Hurricane Gordon was a long-lived and catastrophic late-season hurricane of the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season. The twelfth and final tropical cyclone of the season, Gordon formed as a tropical depression in the southwestern Caribbean on Novem ...
– Another late-season Category 1 hurricane that took a similar erratic track through Cuba and Florida
*
Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch is the second-deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, causing over 11,000 fatalities in Central America in 1998, including approximately 7,000 in Honduras and 3,800 in Nicaragua due to cataclysmic flooding from the slow motion ...
(1998) - October Category 5 that hit similar areas of Central America and Florida at similar strength.
*
Hurricane Wilma
Hurricane Wilma was an extremely intense and destructive Atlantic hurricane which was the most intense storm of its kind and the second-most intense tropical cyclone recorded in the Western Hemisphere, after Hurricane Patricia in 2015. Part o ...
(2005) – A Category 5 hurricane that also explosively intensified in the Southwestern Caribbean
*
Hurricane Felix
Hurricane Felix was an extremely powerful Category 5 Atlantic hurricane which was the southernmost-landfalling Category 5 storm on record, surpassing Hurricane Edith of 1971. It was the sixth named storm, second hurricane, and second Category ...
(2007) – A deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated similar areas
*
Tropical Storm Fay (2008)
Tropical Storm Fay was a strong and unusual tropical storm that moved erratically across the state of Florida and the Caribbean Sea. The sixth named storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Fay formed from a vigorous tropical wave on August& ...
– A near-hurricane strength storm that took a similar winding path through the Caribbean and Florida
References
External links
* The National Hurricane Center'
Advisory Archive on Hurricane EtaNational Hurricane Center(NHC)
Hurricane Eta hits Nicaragua and Honduras as Category 4 - Nov. 2, 2020Hurricane Eta - Nov 2020from ReliefWeb
-
Ejército de Nicaragua
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Tropical cyclones in 2020
Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes
2020 Atlantic hurricane season
November 2020 events in North America
November 2020 events in South America
2020 in Colombia
2020 in Nicaragua
2020 in Honduras
2020 in Costa Rica
2020 in Panama
2020 in El Salvador
2020 in Guatemala
2020 in Belize
2020 in Mexico
2020 in Cuba
2020 in the Bahamas
2020 in Florida
2020 in Georgia (U.S. state)
2020 in South Carolina
2020 in North Carolina
2020 in Virginia
Hurricanes in Colombia
Hurricanes in Nicaragua
Hurricanes in Honduras
Hurricanes in Costa Rica
Hurricanes in Panama
Hurricanes in El Salvador
Hurricanes in Guatemala
Hurricanes in Belize
Atlantic hurricanes in Mexico
Hurricanes in Cuba
Hurricanes in the Bahamas
Hurricanes in Florida
Hurricanes in Georgia (U.S. state)
Hurricanes in South Carolina
Hurricanes in North Carolina
Hurricanes in Virginia
Retired Atlantic hurricanes