Iota's death toll rose to 38 on Wednesday after the year's biggest Atlantic storm unleashed mudslides, tore apart buildings and left thousands homeless across Central America, revisiting areas devastated by another hurricane just two weeks ago.
Central American countries began to see an improvement in the weather on Wednesday after suffering the violent impact of cyclone Iota, which dissipated over El Salvador after leaving at least 14 dead, flooded towns and damage to road infrastructure.
Costa Rica's National Emergency Commission (CNE) and National Meteorological Institute (IMN) on Tuesday detailed the damages and costs provoked by the two major hurricanes that have made landfall in Central America this month.
Hurricane Iota’s landfall location was just 15 miles (25 km) south of where Hurricane Eta made landfall just two weeks before, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Hurricane Iota was barreling through Central America on Tuesday, hours after making landfall as the strongest Atlantic storm this year along a stretch of Nicaraguan coast devastated by a powerful storm just two weeks ago.
Iota made landfall Monday on Nicaragua's northern Caribbean coast as a maximum Category 5 hurricane, accompanied by catastrophic winds, rain and storm surge, a top meteorological official said.
Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua announced evacuations last week, even as the region was still reeling from the devastation inflicted by previous storm Eta.
An exceptionally dangerous Iota could strengthen into a Category 5 hurricane before making landfall in Nicaragua and Honduras, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned Monday morning.
