Just two weeks after Hurricane Eta dumped heavy rainfall in the region, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and southern Belize are facing an even stronger storm fueled by climate change.
Iota, now a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 160 mph, is expected to hit Nicaragua on Monday evening, bringing catastrophic winds, life-threatening storm surge and extreme rainfall.
After lashing Central America and the Florida Keys, the storm is expected to make landfall north of Tampa on Thursday, bringing heavy rain and potentially dangerous storm surge.
The center of the Category 4 storm, packing winds of 145 mph, is moving toward the coast Tuesday morning. It's expected to dump torrential rains in the country's poorest region.
