November 18, 2020 - Hurricane Iota

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   Hurricane Iota
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   On November 17, 2020, the strongest hurricane to make landfall this
   year slammed into the coast of Nicaragua. Hurricane Iota made landfall
   at 10:40 p.m. EDT as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained
   winds near 155 mph (250 kph) along the northeastern coast of Nicaragua
   near the town of Haulover, about 30 miles (45 km) south of Puerto
   Cabezas. Hurricane Iota’s landfall location was approximately 15 miles
   (25 km) south of where Category 4 Hurricane Eta made landfall on
   November 3.

   The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board
   NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the large storm
   on November 17 after Iota had moved well inland and begun to weaken.

   As of 2100 UTC local time (4:00 p.m. EST) on November 17, the National
   Hurricane Center (NHC) reported Iota was located inland at about 75
   miles (125 km) east southeast of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Maximum
   sustained winds had weakened to 60 mph (95 km/h) and the storm
   continued to move westward. Forecasters warned of coastal storm surges
   as high as 4.5 to 6 meters (15 to 20 feet) and rainfall amounts between
   250 to 750 millimeters (10 to 30 inches) across parts of Nicaragua,
   Honduras, Guatemala, and Belize.

   According to Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS)
   reports, strong winds and heavy rainfall have damaged several buildings
   across Puerto Cabezas. More than 70,000 inhabitants of Nicaragua have
   been evacuated to 1,299 shelters. At least 50,000 people have been
   evacuated in Honduras. Several news outlets are reporting that Iota has
   left at least three people dead and significant damage in parts of
   Nicaragua already reeling from Hurricane Eta’s landfall less than two
   weeks ago. However, widespread power outages and communication
   disruptions in the country from Eta’s passage – and with still-heavy
   rains and storm surge drenching the county – damage assessments may be
   delayed.

   Iota is the strongest hurricane and 30th named storm of the 2020
   Atlantic season, the most since modern record-keeping began. (The
   previous record of 28 was set in 2005.) It also marked the first time
   that two hurricanes have formed in the Atlantic in any November. Iota
   is the 13th storm to reach hurricane strength this year; the average
   hurricane year brings 11.5 named storms and six hurricanes.

   Tropical storm Iota reached hurricane strength early on November 15.
   Over the course of 36 hours, wind speeds increased by 160 kilometers
   (100 miles) per hour—well beyond the threshold of 55 kilometers (35
   miles) per hour that meteorologists refer to as “rapid
   intensification.” The storm grew over particularly warm Caribbean
   waters, which are known to fuel hurricanes. La Niña conditions in the
   eastern Pacific may also have played a role, as such events typically
   reduce wind shear that can break up storms. Iota is the tenth storm to
   undergo rapid intensification in 2020.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Terra
   Date Acquired: 11/17/2020
   Resolutions:  1km (614.6 KB),  500m (1.9 MB),  250m (5.5 MB)
   Bands Used: 1,4,3
   Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2020-11-18
 
