A road in Honduras destroyed by Hurricane Eta. Photo: CARE
A road in Honduras destroyed by Hurricane Eta. Photo: CARE
Tropical depression Eta slammed into Nicaragua Nov. 3 and moved across the country and into Honduras and Guatemala, killing more than 60 people and impacting more than 1.8 million. Rescue teams are hard at work but facing challenges reaching people in some of the most impacted areas due to damaged roads and bridges, and landslides. In some areas, the rains were so heavy they caused people to drown in their homes overnight.
“We are very worried because the impact has been much worse than expected. The situation is pretty dramatic, mainly in the Sula Valley in northern Honduras,” says Maite Matheu, CARE Honduras country director. “I would say the national capacity has been overwhelmed by the size of the impact we are seeing.”
In Honduras, crops have been destroyed and infrastructure, including 17 bridges, has been severely damaged. In Guatemala, heavy rains continue to devastate roads, and telecommunications, electricity, and water systems. CARE teams and partners are safe and working to assess the needs and impacts.
MEXICO CITY—Heavy rains from Tropical Depression Eta brought death and devastation to Central America, with Honduras ordering the evacuation of a major valley and Guatemala reporting the deaths of more than 50 people. Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei said a mudslide in the village of Quejá, in central Guatemala, buried around 25 houses—or half the village—with at least 50 people inside.
Read MoreSAN 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.
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