Hurricane Iota Bears Down On Already-Battered Nations Of Central America

Relief organizations are preparing for the second devastating storm in as many weeks in Central American as Hurricane Iota heads for Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and southern Belize, the same regions hit by Hurricane Eta earlier this month.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) says Iota, a Category 5 storm, will make landfall in Nicaragua Monday night, bringing with it catastrophic winds and torrential rainfall. As of 1 p.m. ET, Iota has maximum sustained winds of 160 mph and higher gusts.

The NHC's description of damage resulting from a Category 5 storm says "a high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, ... Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months."

Conor Walsh, who manages Catholic Relief Services in Honduras, says the capital Tegucigalpa is highly vulnerable — as is the rest of the country.

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