Hurricane Eta

Eta developed from a tropical wave that moved off the west coast of Africa around October 22. The system slowly moved westward across the tropical Atlantic, accompanied by a large area of disorganized cloudiness, showers, and thunderstorms. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) began monitoring the disturbance for potential development into a tropical cyclone on October 29, as it moved across the Lesser Antilles and into the eastern Caribbean Sea. On October 30, the disturbance moved west-northwestward and gradually became better organized. This allowed for deep convection to become more consolidated going into October 31. By 18:00 UTC on that day, the system's deep convection had consolidated and a low-level circulation had become sufficiently well-defined, marking the formation of Tropical Depression Twenty-Nine centered about south of Pedernales, Dominican Republic. The depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Eta by 00:00 UTC on November 1, becoming the earliest 28th tropical or subtropical storm on record in an Atlantic hurricane season, surpassing the old mark of December 30, set by Tropical Storm Zeta in 2005. on November 1. Steered westward by a low-to-mid-level ridge that extended from the subtropical Atlantic southwestward to Cuba and The Bahamas, Eta slowly organized throughout the day as a central dense overcast began to form atop its low-level center. Surrounded by an environment of low vertical shear and high sea surface temperatures, Eta began to explosively intensify on November 2. It became a hurricane by 06:00 UTC that day, while located about south of Grand Cayman. Its sustained winds increased to Category 4 intensity by 18:00 UTC that day, an increase of in about 12 hours. Eta's maximum sustained winds peaked at at 00:00 UTC on November 3; at the same time, the storm had a central pressure of . Eta then begun to slow down and turn southwestward in response to a mid-level ridge over the western Gulf of Mexico and Mexico. Even so, its maximum sustained winds remained unchanged through 06:00 UTC, during which time its minimum pressure fell to , with the storm reaching its peak intensity. however, in their post-season report, the NHC determined that Eta peaked as a -Category 4 hurricane. After drifting just offshore of the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua for several hours on November 3, A storm surge of was reported at landfall. and to a tropical storm by 12:00 UTC on November 4. Twelve hours later, around 00:00 UTC on November 5, Eta weakened to a tropical depression while its center was located about east of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. By 06:00 UTC that morning, the storm degenerated into a remnant low, though it maintained its low-level vorticity maximum. The remnants of Eta emerged into the Gulf of Honduras around 00:00 UTC on November 6, and then, six hours later, regenerated into a tropical depression east of Belize, due to the steering influence of a developing mid- to upper-level trough over the Gulf of Mexico. The system re-strengthened into a tropical storm by 00:00 UTC on November 7 and accelerated east-northeastward later that day. the storm attained an intensity of at 00:00 UTC on November. It then moved counterclockwise along the periphery of a broad deep-layer cyclonic circulation. This movement took Eta across the southern coast of Cuba, about south-southeast of Sancti Spíritus, at 09:00 UTC on November 8, with winds of . It emerged off the north coast of Cuba into the Straits of Florida six hours later. The storm continued to move along this course through early on November 9. Eta made its third landfall around 04:00 UTC that morning near Lower Matecumbe Key in the Florida Keys with sustained winds of near , and then moved westward into the Gulf of Mexico. It made a cyclonic loop to the north of the western tip of Cuba on November 10, with little change in strength. It then moved northward on November 11, briefly regaining hurricane intensity around 12:00 UTC, and simultaneously reaching its second peak intensity with sustained winds of and a barometric pressure of . It then turned north-northeastward and made a final landfall near Cedar Key, Florida at 09:00 UTC on November 12, with sustained winds of . The storm further degraded and weakened over land as it accelerated northeastward, eventually emerging over the waters of the Atlantic near the Florida–Georgia border at 18:00 UTC that same day. The system regained some of its lost intensity once back over water and it accelerated east-northeastward as it began its extratropical transition. By 09:00 UTC on November 13, while located near the coast of the Carolinas, it became an extratropical low. On the next day, Eta was absorbed by another frontal system to the north. ==Preparations==

Central America Early on November 1, the governments of Honduras and Nicaragua issued Hurricane Watches and Warnings for the northeastern coast of Honduras from Punta Patuca to the Honduras–Nicaragua border and the northeastern coast of Nicaragua from the Honduras–Nicaragua border to Puerto Cabezas, respectively. Later that day, a hurricane warning was issued from the Honduras–Nicaragua border to Sandy Bay Sirpi while a tropical storm warning was issued for areas from Punta Patuca to the Honduras–Nicaragua border. A tropical storm watch was also issued from west of Punta Patuca westward to Punta Castilla late that same day. Nicaragua on November 3. Its rainbands covered most of Central America. With the threat of of storm surge along the coastline, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega issued a yellow alert for the departments of Jinotega, Nueva Segovia, and the North Caribbean Autonomous Region on October 31, which were upgraded to a red alert by November 2. Residents in coastal communities were advised to evacuate as supplies, including 88 tons of food, sleeping bags, hygiene kits, and plastic, were delivered to Puerto Cabezas according Nicaragua's National System for the Prevention, Mitigation and Attention of Disaster. The Nicaraguan Navy helped evacuate more than 3,000 families from offshore islands to Puerto Cabezas as residents in the city waited in long lines to access cash machines while getting supplies. Just before the storm's arrival, the Nicaraguan Army moved its Humanitarian and SAR Unit (Unidad Humanitaria y de Rescate - UHR in Spanish) to Puerto Cabezas, to help in search and rescue efforts that would occur due to Eta. More than 10,000 people sought refuge at shelters in Puerto Cabezas and surrounding villages. Honduras A red alert was placed for Honduran departments of Gracias a Dios, Colón, Atlántida, Islas de la Bahía, and Olancho while a yellow alert was declared for Santa Bárbara, Francisco Morazán, Comayagua, El Paraíso, Yoro, and Cortés. A green alert was issued for Copán, Ocotepeque, Lempira, Intibucá, La Paz, Valle, and Choluteca. The Honduran Air Force prepared two planes to send 4,000 pounds of food to La Mosquitia, Gracias a Dios. The National Police of Honduras was tasked to advise passengers of roadways blocked by a landslide or flooding. More than 20,000 pounds of food was stored at the Offices of Risk Management and National Contingencies in San Pedro Sula, ahead of the storm. The national "feriado morazánico" holiday was also canceled. El Salvador The Civil Protection Directorate of El Salvador evacuated residents in Tecoluca after setting up 1,152 shelters across the country. The Autonomous Executive Port Commission considered temporarily closing the El Salvador International Airport due to Eta. The Executive Hydroelectric Commission of the Lempa River cleared pipes to prevent flooding in communities along the river. Costa Rica Costa Rica's National Meteorological Institute forecast widespread rainfall in association with the outer bands of Eta, primarily along the Pacific coastline. With flooding beginning during the overnight hours of November 2, the National Emergency Commission (NCE) established multiple shelters for evacuees. The agency planned to set up three types of shelters due to the COVID-19 pandemic: infected persons, suspected infected persons, and non-infected persons. Landslides were expected in many areas due to saturated soils. Panama Although not in the direct path of Eta, the fringe effects of the hurricane were expected to cause disruptions in Panama. Seagoing vessels were alerted to dangerous swells in Caribbean waters along with wind gusts up to . The Ministry of Public Works advised residents to stay vigilant for possible flooding and landslides. MPO road crews were dispatched to ensure highways remained clear for travel. Belize As flooding was a major threat because of heavy rainfalls, a flood warning was issued for all of Belize in preparation for Eta as the National Emergency Management Organization urged residents to evacuate. Caribbean Cayman Islands and Cuba on November 7. As the projected path for Eta showed the system coming close to Grand Cayman, a tropical storm watch and a flood warning were put into effect for Grand Cayman and all islands of the Cayman Islands on November 5. The watch became tropical storm warning the following day as Tropical Storm Eta moved closer. Government schools were closed in the islands, as were ports in George Town, Grand Cayman and Creek, Creek, Cayman Brac. Cuba On November 6, the Government of Cuba issued a tropical storm watch for the provinces of Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Matanzas, La Habana, Havana, Pinar del Rio, and the Isle of Youth. Later that day, these were upgraded to tropical storm warnings in some provinces. The Bahamas Late on November 6, the government of the Bahamas has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for its northwestern islands, including: the Abacos, Andros, Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama, and New Providence. The next day, these watches were upgraded to tropical storm warnings. United States Florida On November 6, tropical storm watches were issued for the Florida Keys and parts of the coast of the Florida peninsula. The next day, these were upgraded to tropical storm warnings in the Florida Keys and the southern tip of the peninsula. On November 7, Hurricane Watches and Warnings were issued parallelly for much of the Florida peninsula and both Tropical Storm Warnings and Watches were extended further north. Residents of mobile homes and other vulnerable structures in the Florida Keys were told to evacuate ahead of Tropical Storm Eta as a state of emergency was declared in several counties including Monroe and Miami-Dade. Later, Hurricane Warnings were issued for the Florida Keys. The National Park Service shut down Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park and Dry Tortugas National Park during the storm's passage. All the warnings for Florida were cancelled by November 9, only to have more issued the next day along the western side of the state as Eta changed directions. ==Impact==

Eta's intensity and catastrophic rainfall at the beginning of its lifetime followed by its erratic path afterwards bought widespread impacts across Central America, the Greater Antilles, and Florida. South America Colombia Despite passing north of the San Andrés Island, part of the archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, Eta still brought considerable damage to the island. Wind speeds of downed the trees and damaged houses, and Eta also caused severe flooding on the island. Damage across the archipelago reached COL$3 billion (US$777,000). Central America Nicaragua As Eta neared landfall, its powerful winds downed power lines and uprooted trees while causing flooding and damaging roofs in Puerto Cabezas. A storm surge of was reported when Eta made landfall. Significant rainfall occurred across much of Nicaragua, with a peak of reported at Puerto Corinto on the country's northwest Pacific coast. An estimated 80 percent of the agricultural sector was reported as lost by the Ministry of Agricultural Livestock. At least 457 homes were damaged by floodwaters, 41 communities were cut off by washed-out roads, and at least nine bridges were destroyed including one in La Ceiba. In La Ceiba, floodwaters rushed through streets, and the flooding also washed away a structure at a local cemetery. A ferry leaving Roatán was rocked by large waves and winds with 300 passengers onboard while trying to reach the port of La Ceiba. Nobody was injured or killed on the ferry. 60 fishermen were lost at sea for days off the coast of Honduras before making it back to shore. The Permanent Contingency Commission of Honduras reported that 14 roads and 339 homes were destroyed. In Olanchito, 12 people, including two newborns, were trapped. A wall collapsed at a prison in El Progreso letting in waist-deep floodwaters, causing the evacuation of more than 600 inmates. At least 74 people have been killed across Honduras as a result of Eta, mainly due to landslides and drownings. A 13-year-old girl was killed when a mudflow caused her home to collapse in the village of Carmen. In Sulaco, a 15-year-old boy drowned while trying to cross a rain-swollen river. A 37-year-old man also drowned in San Manuel, in the western part of the Lempira Department. Total economic losses in Honduras are estimated in excess of 125 billion lempiras (US$5 billion). At least 53 people died across Guatemala, while an additional 96 remain missing. The village of Queja near San Cristobal Verapaz in the center of the country was particularly hard-hit, with a landslide burying 150 homes. However, the searching was called off two days later. Infrastructural damage were amounted to be exceed Q3 billion (US$386 million). Despite a ban on fishing activities, one fisherman drowned off the coast of Playa El Espino in the Usulután Department. Multiple reports of flooding and landslides occurred nationwide, 12 rivers saw increased levels, prompting concern for further flooding, and 26 people required evacuation in Corredores and Parrita. In southern Costa Rica, a landslide onto a house killed two residents, a Costa Rican woman and an American man. The highway that connects the province of Chiriquí with Bocas del Toro collapsed near Hornito, blocking the passage of vehicles in both directions. Flooding in Panama's Chiriqui province, near the Costa Rica border killed 19 people. Residents in low-lying areas had to be evacuated from their homes. Approximately 60,000 people in Belize were affected. Cayman Islands and Cuba Eta brushed by the Cayman Islands just as it intensified back into a tropical storm, producing major impacts across the islands with Grand Cayman being hit the hardest. Wave action off the coast caused minor flooding on the coasts. Downed trees and tree branches also resulted. Power outages became widespread across the islands with tropical-storm force winds causing damage to power lines. Eta bought heavy rainfall in areas already dealing with overflowing rivers. Coastal zones in Cuba were also flooded and about 25,000 people were forced to evacuate. United States Florida early on November 9. The outer bands of Eta brought tropical storm-force gusts to South Florida beginning on November 7. A peak wind gust of was reported in these outer bands near Dania Beach on November 7. Florida Power & Light reported just over 30,000 power outages in the Miami metropolitan area, including nearly 16,000 in Miami-Dade County alone. Overall, about 48,500 businesses and homes lost electricity throughout South Florida. Heavy rainfall also impacted the region, with a peak total of in Pembroke Pines, while rain gauges elsewhere in Pembroke Pines and nearby Miramar observed more than of precipitation. Street flooding occurred in Broward, northern Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties. One person was taken to the hospital in South Florida after being rescued from flooded roads. One of the state's largest COVID-19 testing sites, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, was flooded. On November 11, a sailboat became lodged partially underneath the Matlacha Pass Bridge, causing the bridge to be temporarily closed thus cutting off transportation to and from Pine Island. Around the same area two other boats sank due to turbulent surf caused by the storm and a dock at the Bridgewater Inn floated away. A man died in Bradenton Beach when he was electrocuted by an appliance in standing water caused by the storm and a firefighter was injured as he tried to access the home. Flooding in Pinellas County caused 33 people to be rescued by the Pinellas County Sheriff Office from homes and roadways and in Gulfport, five sailboats became unanchored and ran aground or were pushed up against a seawall. In Sarasota, the wettest November day on record was recorded. An EF0 tornado also ripped the porch off a house in Verna on November 11. Losses statewide were estimated at US$1 billion. Officially, Eta made two landfalls in Florida - it hit the central part of the Florida Keys late Sunday, November 7, and made landfall again at about 4 a.m. Thursday, November 12, near Cedar Key, roughly north of Tampa. Elsewhere Moisture from Eta combined with a cold front moving eastward across the Eastern United States, generating extremely heavy rainfall across Virginia and the Carolinas. At least eleven people were killed due to flooding in the Carolinas, including a child, while over 33 people were rescued in a flooded campground. In Charlotte, North Carolina, more than 140 people were rescued from a school when floodwaters reached the first-floor windows. In Raleigh, North Carolina, multiple car accidents occurred due to slick roads. All lanes of Interstate 95 near the city were closed due to flooding. Over of rain fell in some areas of North and South Carolina. The storm resulted in at least $20.4 million in North Carolina. In Maryland, the St. Mary's River reached one of its ten highest water levels due to the storm. ==Aftermath==

Much of Central America was already facing a humanitarian crisis, as an estimated 5.3 million people were in need of assistance as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to Hurricane Eta's destruction, the economic situation worsened and more people were left in need of aid. With damage from Hurricane Eta spanning the entirety of Central America, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched a "massive, multi-country operation". An estimated 2.5 million people were directly affected by the storm, including 1.7 million in Honduras. The IFRC dispatched a plane and two trucks carrying 98 tons of relief goods from Panama to Honduras and Nicaragua by November 10. Several Emergency Response Units stationed globally were to be dispatched to affected areas. An emergency appeal for 20 million Swiss francs (US$22 million) was made to supplement local Red Cross activities in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Numerous agencies coordinated with the IFRC to establish shelters and provide relief. The American, Swiss, Norwegian, Spanish, Italian, and German Red Cross were positioned to assist any operations. Airbnb readied its Open Homes partnership in Honduras and Nicaragua, providing residents with free housing. Extreme rainfall and mudflows caused by the storm destroyed or damaged much of what was being rebuilt. A member of Restoring Family Links was dispatched to Honduras for administrative assistance. Nicaragua Initial relief efforts in Nicaragua were stymied by extensive flooding and persistent rainfall. The Nicaraguan Red Cross coordinated distribution of supplies with the nation's government. By November 8, 14,362 people remained in shelters and required hygiene supplies. The Nicaraguan Government provided 88 tons of food to the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region, the hardest hit area. Honduras With extensive damage across the country, Honduras's Secretary of Infrastructure and Public Services and Institute for Community Development and Water and Sanitation divided relief operations into three zones. The Government of Honduras allocated US$2 million in funds and formally appealed for international aid on November 5. By November 7, more than 16,000 people had been rescued while 65,912 people remained isolated across 64 communities. The IFRC expressed concern over an increase in post-traumatic stress disorder, similar to what took place after Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Access to clean water was significantly disrupted due to high turbidity and power outages, though 60% of service was restored by November 7. Though distribution systems in some regions of Honduras collapsed after Hurricane Eta, some of the water, sanitation, and hygiene services (WASH) have been restored as of June 2021. The economy has slowly began to recover in the months after destruction. Israeli humanitarian aid agency IsraAID's locally based team arrived in Alta Verapaz, on November 9 and provided psychological first aid, medical support, relief items, hygiene kits, and water filters. ==Retirement==

Due to the damage and loss of life brought about by the storm, especially in Central America, the Greek letter Eta, from the auxiliary storm name list, was retired by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in March 2021, and will never be used again for an Atlantic tropical cyclone. The WMO also decided to discontinue the use of the Greek alphabet auxiliary list, and replaced it with a new 21-name supplemental list for use when a regular naming list is exhausted. ==See also==