Eta back to sea as Central America tallies damage and dead

SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras (AP) — As the remnants of Hurricane Eta moved back over Caribbean waters, governments in Central America worked to tally the displaced and dead, and recover bodies from landslides and flooding that claimed dozens of lives from Guatemala to Panama.

It will be days before the true toll of Eta is known.

Its torrential rains battered economies already strangled by the COVID-19 pandemic, took all from those who had little, and laid bare the shortcomings of governments unable to aid their citizens and pleading for international assistance.

Shortly after, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández asked neighbouring Guatemala for help rescuing residents stranded near their shared border Thursday, Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei said at least 50 people had been killed in landslides in his own country, most of them in a remote town rescuers struggled to reach.

Guatemala’s national emergency agency later said only that at least 50 people were missing in San Cristobal Verapaz.

The US National Hurricane Center forecast that parts of Nicaragua and Honduras could receive 15 to 25 inches of rain, with 40 inches possible in some isolated parts.

On Friday morning, the storm was centred 65 miles (105 kilometres) east of Belize City.

A week of rain spoiled crops, washed away bridges, and flooded homes across Central America.

Hurricane Eta’s arrival Tuesday afternoon in northeast Nicaragua followed days of drenching rain as it crawled toward shore.

Its slow, meandering path north through Honduras pushed rivers over their banks and pouring into neighbourhoods where families were forced onto rooftops to wait for rescue.

Early Friday, Tropical Depression Eta had maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour and was moving north at seven miles per hour,

The forecast had it strengthening to a tropical storm before nearing the Cayman Islands Saturday and crossing Cuba Sunday.

From there it could reach Florida or at least come close enough to assure heavy rains.

“Whatever comes out (of Central America) is going to linger awhile,” said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.

“I’m not convinced we’re done with Eta.”

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