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Hurricane Iota Makes Landfall Along Nicaragua Coast Monday Night

VOA News

   Hurricane Iota made landfall along the northeastern coast of Nicaragua
   late Monday nightand flash flooding and landslides are expected across
   Central America.

   The National Hurricane Center said Iota struck Nicaragua as aCategory4
   storm, with winds of210 kilometers per hour.Many people hunkered down
   in shelters while theNicaraguan governmentevacuated thousands of
   residents in low lying coastal areas ahead of the storm.

   One residentin theseasidetown ofBilwi, business owner Business owner
   Adán Artola Schultz,describedthe sound of metal structures banging and
   buckling in the wind as "likebullets" to the Associated Press.Jason
   Bermúdez, a university student fromBilwi, told APa lot of
   houseshavelost their roofs, fences and fruit trees that got knocked
   down.Bermúdezsaid"(W)ewill never forget this year."

   "The situation is exacerbated by the fact that Iota is making landfall
   in almost the exact same location that category 4 Hurricane Eta did a
   little less than two weeks ago," the Hurricane Center said in a
   statement.

   Iota cameashore southof where Hurricane Eta made landfall Nov. 3, also
   as a Category 4 storm.

   Hurricane Eta killed more than 130 people as the heavy rains caused
   flash flooding and landslides over parts of Central America.

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