Hurricane Iota will hit Nicaragua as a Category 5 monster storm

Hurricane Iota became a Category 5 monster storm earlier today and is only an hour away from landfall in Nicaragua, close to where Hurricane Eta struck two weeks ago. Iota is the record-breaking 2020 hurricane season's most powerful hurricane to make landfall. It is bringing 160 mph winds with gusts at almost 200 mph, an "unsurvivable storm surge" of 20 feet to the NIcaraguan coast and torrential rains that will cause more flooding and mudslides in an area devastated by Hurricane Eta.

Evacuations have been ordered in low-lying areas, but shortage of fuel is complicating those efforts.

There has only been one other time that Nicaragua has been hit by two hurricanes in one season. In 1971 Hurricane Edith and Hurricane Irene made landfall in the Central American country.

There are already areas of Nicaragua and Honduras without electricity even before Iota makes landfall..

Iota's current projected path has it going straight through Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador and into the Pacific Ocean. It's impact will be felt in those countries as well as Guatemala, Belize and nearby Caribbean islands.