The storm, the second hurricane to strike Central America in less than two weeks, was expected to produce catastrophic winds and up to 30 inches of rain all week.
PUERTO CABEZAS, Nicaragua — Iota was upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane early Monday morning, the National Hurricane Center said, warning that the storm was likely to bring catastrophic winds, life-threatening storm surge and extreme rainfall to Central America, an area still recovering from Hurricane Eta less than two weeks ago. The storm was 145 miles southeast of Cabo Gracias Dios on the border of Nicaragua and Honduras with maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Iota was expected to make landfall in the area on Monday night. “It could reach Category 5 status later today before making landfall with 12-18 feet of storm surge,” the hurricane center said, noting it was an “exceptionally dangerous situation.” A hurricane warning was in effect for several cities along the coast of both countries, where the storm was expected to produce up to 30 inches of rain in some areas through Friday. The intense rainfall could lead to significant flash flooding and mudslides in higher elevations, the center said. The situation was strikingly familiar for residents in Central America, including Marina Rodríguez, whose home was washed away by Hurricane Eta, which also made landfall as a Category 4.
