Etta now barrels towards a ‘big hurricane’ Central American coast: NPR

Satellite images of Hurricane Etta. It was upgraded to a major hurricane by the National Hurricane Center on Monday. Some isolated areas of Nicaragua are expected to receive 35 inches of rain.

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Satellite images of Hurricane Etta. It was upgraded to a major hurricane by the National Hurricane Center on Monday. Some isolated areas of Nicaragua are expected to receive 35 inches of rain.

NOAA

Updated at 4 p.m.

The National Hurricane Center said on Monday that Hurricane Etta had developed into a “major hurricane” and was expected to make landfall on the east coast of Central America.

It is now a Type 4 storm with winds of up to 130 miles per hour NHC’s 4 pm ET consultation, Which adds that the storm could create “life-threatening hurricanes, catastrophic winds, flash floods and landslides.”

When it moves at 9 miles per hour, satellite data shows that the Eta is gaining strength fast and will continue to operate when it reaches the coast of Nicaragua, according to satellite data.

The storm is expected to lose strength, but only after it has caused a landslide, which is expected to occur late Monday or early Tuesday.

“Catastrophic wind damage is expected where Etta’s eye wall moves to shore, and arrangements must be completed within the hurricane warning area,” he said. The NHC said.

A hurricane warning is in effect from the northern border with Honduras to the coast of Nicaragua to the coast of Sandy Bay Sirby. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the northeast coast of Honduras.

After the landslide, Etta is expected to receive a heavy downpour in the mountains of Nicaragua and Honduras.

Forecasters predict that the storm will be 12-18 feet above normal wave level and that up to 35 inches of rain is expected in some isolated areas until Friday.

Some forecasters are drawing parallel to Hurricane Mitch, which is moving slowly and hit the same area in 1998. Mitch is the second Atlantic hurricane ever seen: 11,000 people died in floods and landslides in Honduras and Nicaragua.

Etta is 28^Th Named the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Storm and matched 2005 with the record for most named hurricanes in a single season.

Philip Klotsbach, meteorologist at Colorado State University Tweeted on Monday Etta is the third major hurricane to make landfall in the Atlantic since October 1.

In September, forecasters were forced to use the Greek alphabet because the list of available storm names was exhausted.

The World Meteorological Organization, Is the company that makes the list of names in advance of the storm season List of 21 possible storm names, Listed alphabetically from A to W (no names Q, U, X, Y or Z available).

The next characters of the Greek alphabet are Theta and Iota, the forecasters for future storms to name – and to help turn 2020 into the all-time leader in named storms.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially ends on November 30th.

Russell Lewis of the NPR contributed to this report.