Hurricane Eta made landfall on northeastern Nicaragua on Nov. 3, bringing with it a storm surge, dangerous winds, and flash flooding. Though it has lessened in severity, it is predicted by the U.S. National Hurricane Center to bring severe flooding in portions of Central America for the next few days.

Eta reached the coast of Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which means it was predicted to cause catastrophic damage, from long-lasting power outages to serious structural damages. At landing, it sustained winds of about 140 mph, breaking trees, pulling roofs off houses, and causing flooding. On the morning of Nov. 4, Hurricane Eta’s winds halved in speed, and it dropped to tropical storm status.

“Catastrophic, life-threatening flash flooding, river flooding and mudslides” will still occur in the region in the coming days, according to the National Hurricane Center. As the storm rages on, more than three feet of rain is expected in areas of Nicaragua and Honduras. Cabezas, one city in Nicaragua, was reported to be without power, and government shelters at full capacity. Homes in Honduras were also being flooded due to the heavy rains brought by Eta, and landslides covered roads.

“Tropical Storm Eta could approach South Florida this weekend,” wrote meteorologists at The Weather Channel. “The remnant spin and energy from Eta are expected to emerge over the northwest Caribbean Sea on Friday. That’s when Eta could reorganize into a tropical depression or storm.” 

In days, Eta is expected to interact or combine with an upper-level low-pressure current system at the Gulf of Mexico, which will pull it northward to Florida. The southern region of the state will see heavy rain at the very least, which could cause some flash floods. 

“Computer models are in fairly good agreement, but the timing is different,” said West Point Chief Meteorologist Steve Weagle. “Some are much faster, bringing the rainfall in on Friday. Others [are] a lot slower, bringing it in on Saturday.”

There will be more confident estimations of the storm’s impact as time passes, but currently, heavy rain and strong winds are the minimum expected.

Eta’s long-term future cannot be accurately predicted, but it is expected to make a final landfall around the eastern Gulf Coast after interacting with the southern Florida Peninsula. Residents of Florida, the northwest Caribbean, and segments of the U.S. Gulf Coast should keep an eye on Eta’s progress as they are most likely to be affected.

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