On Nov. 16, Central America was struck by a second hurricane in a single month. Hurricane Iota arrived in Central America last Monday as a Category 4 hurricane. As Central America was recovering from Hurricane Eta, which arrived on Nov. 3 as a Category 4 Hurricane, another hurricane developed. Hurricane Eta struck Central America, mainly in Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala, and affected more than 3.6 million people. Around 145 people died because of the hurricane and 210,000 evacuated their homes to seek shelter.
Moreover, while Central America was recovering from Hurricane Eta, another hurricane struck Nicaragua on Nov. 16. Hurricane Iota became the 30th named tropical storm of the season and is considered to be the strongest hurricane in the country’s history with a maximum of 155 miles per hour. Consequently, the hurricane proceeded to make its way across Honduras, Guatemala and neighboring countries. Nonetheless, by Tuesday morning the hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm with maximum winds of 75 miles per hour and by Wednesday, Hurricane Iota dissipated over El Salvador. Hurricane Iota killed around 30 people this past week and the death toll continues to rise as more people are being found. The Red Cross estimated that 2.5 million people between Panama and Belize were affected by the hurricane.
A few of the main concerns caused by the hurricanes were the landslides, heavy floods and wind damage. As a result, several houses were destroyed, and residential areas will remain uninhabitable for weeks or months to come. Likewise, the destruction also impacted the incoming harvest for numerous families and farmers, leaving them without any crops for the upcoming months. Families sought shelter to protect themselves from the hurricane.
How Can You Help?
One of the biggest issues of these hurricanes hitting these countries is that most areas are not equipped to handle such catastrophes and they need assistance. Present-day, the Red Cross is accepting donations through their webpage and is helping relieve all those affected by the hurricanes. Moreover, the Red Cross prepared communities for the massive rains and floods by providing them with water, food, COVID-19 prevention equipment and other emergency resources. Additionally, they have also partnered with local and national authorities across Central America to search and rescues those who were affected by the hurricanes.
Another organization that is aiding the communities affected by both of the hurricanes is World Vision. They are an international aid agency responding to the devastation caused by Hurricane Iota and they are accepting monetary donations through their webpage. Lastly, most of the local communities and cities in the United States are recollecting all sorts of food, blankets, protective gear, face masks and more to send to the countries affected.
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