Monday, January 20, 2025
1.0°F

Iota strengthens into hurricane; 13th of Atlantic season

Freida Frisaro | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 2 months AGO
by Freida FrisaroCurt Anderson
| November 14, 2020 10:30 PM

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Iota became the thirteenth hurricane of the Atlantic season early Sunday, threatening to bring another dangerous system to Nicaragua and Honduras — countries recently clobbered by a Category 4 Hurricane Eta.

Iota was already a record-breaking system, being the 30th named storm of this year’s extraordinarily busy Atlantic hurricane season. Such activity has focused attention on climate change, which scientists say is causing wetter, stronger and more destructive storms.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said early Sunday that Iota had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph). It was centered about 295 miles (475 kilometers) east of Isla de Providencia, Colombia, and was moving west at 5 mph (7 kph).

Providencia and parts of Nicaragua and Honduras were under hurricane warnings, forecasters said.

Iota threatened to wreak more havoc in a region where people are still grappling with the aftermath of Eta. That system hit Nicaragua just over a week ago as a Category 4 hurricane, killing at least 120 people as torrential rains brought flash floods and landslides to parts of Central America and Mexico. Then it meandered across Cuba, the Florida Keys and around the Gulf of Mexico before slogging ashore again near Cedar Key, Florida, and dashing across Florida and the Carolinas.

Eta was the 28th named storm of this year’s hurricane season, tying the 2005 record for named storms. Theta, the 29th, was weakening over the far eastern Atlantic Ocean. It was expected to become a remnant low by Sunday morning, forecasters said.

___

Frisaro reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

MORE IMPORTED STORIES

Hurricane Iota heads for battered Honduras, Nicaragua
Columbia Basin Herald | Updated 4 years, 2 months ago
Iota threatens 2nd hurricane strike for Nicaragua, Honduras
Columbia Basin Herald | Updated 4 years, 2 months ago
Iota threatens 2nd tropical strike for Nicaragua, Honduras
Columbia Basin Herald | Updated 4 years, 2 months ago

ARTICLES BY FREIDA FRISARO

New coronavirus threat: Florida limits nursing homes visits
March 12, 2020 12:06 a.m.

New coronavirus threat: Florida limits nursing homes visits

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis placed limits Wednesday on who can can visit Florida's nursing homes and other assisted living facilities, bidding to protect the state's sizeable and vulnerable elderly population from the new coronavirus.

Walt Disney World to close theme parks through end of month
March 12, 2020 11:28 p.m.

Walt Disney World to close theme parks through end of month

MIAMI (AP) — Theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Paris Resort will be closing through the end of the month, starting at the close of business Sunday, the Walt Disney Company announced.

January 8, 2021 6:32 a.m.

UFC fighter accused of stabbing his 2 sisters in Florida

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — An Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts fighter is accused of stabbing his two sisters early Thursday as they slept in a spare bedroom in his apartment because a “higher power" told him to do so, police in Florida said.