A home in Nicaragua is badly damaged following Hurricane Eta.

Damange from Hurricane Eta has left many children and families in Nicaragua without shelter and vulernable to Hurricane Iota.

Hurricane Iota: Facts, FAQs and How to Help

Hurricane Iota made landfall in Nicaragua as a Category 4 storm on Monday, November 16 along almost exactly the same stretch of coast recently devastated by Hurricane Eta.

With wind speeds up to about 155 miles per hour, the storm battered communities that were already cut off by washed-out bridges, downed trees and flooded roads from Hurricane Eta.

Thousands of children and families were evacuated into crowded shelters, vulnerable not only to the storm's life-threatening winds and storm surges but the coronavirus pandemic's danger as well.

Here's what you need to know about the devastating storm and how to support children and families in need of help.

FAQs:

How strong was Hurricane Iota?
How many people have be impacted by Hurricane Iota?
How is Save the Children responding to Hurricane iota?
How can I help children and families impacted by emergencies?

How strong was Hurricane Iota?

Hurricane Iota, the 30^th named storm of a record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, is now considered the strongest storm to hit Nicaragua in the country's history.

As of early morning on Monday, November 16, Hurricane Iota had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph, classifying it as a Category 5 hurricane.

Once the storm made landfall, it hit with maximum wind speeds of near 155 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, making it a Category 4 hurricane.

How many people have been impacted by Hurricane Iota?

Hurricane Iota comes just two weeks after Hurricane Eta caused many people in Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala to lose everything. Across the regions, houses were destroyed or badly damaged, possessions were washed away and crops were destroyed.

Electricity is down in many parts of the region, flooding is rampant and COVID-19 continues to surge.

Although the numbers continue to rise, Hurricanes Iota and Hurricane Eta have affected at least 4.9 million people across Central America. Conservative estimates account for 70,000 people living in temporary shelters.

How is Save the Children responding to Hurricane Iota?

Save the Children has been working across Central America for decades, with prepositioned supplies, including food, clean water, hygine kits, as well as hand sanitizer and masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, ready for distribution.

While our teams are just now able to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Iota, as early reports show there is widespread need for basic life-sustaining interventions.

“We had just started our support to 24 communities that had been hardest hit by Hurricane Eta," said Argentina Martinez, Country Director in Nicaragua, "but whatever happens, these countries need support and they need the eyes of the world on them.”

How can I help children and families impacted by emergencies?

Nobody knows when the next crisis will strike, but your support helps Save the Children provide assistance in the critical first hours and days of an emergency when children need us most. When generous people like you make your 100% tax-deductible gift, children's lives are saved and their futures are brighter.

Donate to the Children's Emergency Fund today.

Updated: November 21, 2020

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