People in Nicaragua terrified with the devastation caused by Hurricane Eta

Hurricane Eta shredded roofs from homes unleashed extreme flooding and created landslides as it pounded the coastline of Nicaragua and neighbouring Honduras on Tuesday. Around three people were killed and dozens of fishermen in peril.

Eta has become one of the strongest storms to Central America in years. It was recorded as a Category 4 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale when it struck Nicaragua. Hundreds of people were evacuated from Honduras.

Moving south of the port of Puerto Cabezas, Eta was suspected of causing “disastrous” wind blow as the eye of the storm passed inward along the northeastern coast of Nicaragua, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced.

When it thumped the coast, Eta was blowing possibly destructive winds of 140 miles per hour (225 kph) the NHC stated. The storm should weaken quickly as it pushes inland, it continued.

By 9 p.m. local time, Eta was a Category 2 storm sweeping gusts of 105 mph (169 kph). It was shaking through Nicaragua about 45 miles (70 km) west-southwest of Puerto Cabezas, travelling westward at six mph (9 kph), the National Hurricane Centre announced.

Nicaraguan media proclaimed that two artisanal mine diggers were killed by a mudslide, While in Honduras, a 13-year-old girl lost her life in a landslide on her home, the fire department announced.

Meanwhile, about 60 fishers were entrapped and in danger in the east Mosquitia region of Honduras, according to Robin Morales, a spokesperson of the local population.

By early Tuesday, Eta had beaten down trees and power lines and created dangerous flooding in northeast Nicaragua, disaster management agency SINAPRED stated. Still, Vice President Rosario Murillo announced the initial damage had been less than dreaded.

“We’re very scared, there are dropped poles, there’s flooding, roofs were torn off, some of the zinc on my house came off,” said Carmen Enriquez, a homeowner in Puerto Cabezas.

The indigenous territories in northern Nicaragua are some of the country’s most impoverished. Many people reside in homes built of wood and adobe that are ill-equipped to resist such a strong storm.