Hurricane Iota Smashes Through Central America

Iota had intensified into an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm during the day Monday, but the U.S. National Hurricane Center said it weakened slightly as it neared the coast late Monday and made landfall with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph.

• "The situation is exacerbated by the fact that Iota is making landfall in almost the exact same location that category 4 Hurricane Eta did a little less than two weeks ago," the NHC said in a statement.
• Iota sent zinc roofing flying into the streets, toppled electricity poles and flayed palm trees as it battered northeastern Nicaragua on Tuesday
• Many coastal areas are at risk of storm surges of as much as 20 feet (6 meters) above normal tides. About 40,000 people in Nicaragua have been evacuated to shelters and 80,000 people were moved to safety in Honduras.
• "It's the strongest hurricane that has touched Nicaraguan soil since records began," said Marcio Baca, director of the Nicaraguan Institute of Earth Studies.