Hurricane Eta

Hurricane Eta

Eta at peak intensity just east of Nicaragua early on November 3
Meteorological history
Formed	October 31, 2020
Extratropical	November 13, 2020
Dissipated	November 14, 2020
Category 4 major hurricane
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds	150 mph (240 km/h)
Lowest pressure	922 mbar (hPa); 27.23 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities	189+
Missing	120
Damage	$7.24 billion (2020 USD)
Areas affected	San Andrés Jamaica Central America Cayman Islands Cuba The Bahamas Southeastern United States
IBTrACS
Part of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Eta was a deadly and erratic tropical cyclone that devastated parts of Central America in early November 2020. The record-tying twenty-eighth named storm, thirteenth hurricane, and sixth major hurricane of the extremely active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Eta originated from a vigorous tropical wave in the eastern Caribbean Sea 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 millibars (922 hPa; 27.2 inHg), it was the third most intense November Atlantic hurricane on record, behind the 1932 Cuba hurricane and Hurricane Iota, the latter of which formed just two weeks later in the same area. Some weakening took place as the system made landfall near Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, 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 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, on November 9, before slowing down and making a counterclockwise loop in the southern Gulf of Mexico, 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 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 and Northeastern Nicaragua as Eta approached. Once inland, Eta produced torrential rainfall and catastrophic wind, flood and storm surge damage across Central America. 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.^[1] Once the system began to reorganize in the Caribbean, tropical storm watches were issued on November 5, in the Cayman Islands. More watches were issued in parts of Cuba, the northwestern Bahamas, and South Florida. 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 further to the north bringing heavy rainfall and flash flooding to the Carolinas and Virginia.

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.^[2] 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 have been given to affected countries to help recoveries. However, just two weeks later, relief efforts were greatly hampered by Hurricane Iota, which further worsened the disaster in the region.