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After passing over Cuba, Tropical Storm “Eta” now threatens parts of the US state of Florida. The United States Hurricane Center in Miami warned of heavy rains and life-threatening flooding in parts of the southeastern peninsula.
Around 4 a.m. (CET), the center of the storm was about 60 kilometers east of Marathon, part of the Keys, the island chain at the southern tip of Florida. With wind speeds of 100 kilometers per hour, “Eta” moved northwest towards the mainland.
The first effects of the storm were already noticeable in Florida. The precursors of “Eta” were strong winds and rains. As a result, according to the regional utility company Florida Power & Light, tens of thousands of homes were cut off. In Miami and Fort Lauderdale, there have also been isolated floods, as television images showed.
For South Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis had already declared a state of emergency on Saturday. Coronavirus testing centers were temporarily closed, authorities opened emergency shelters. Schools in the Florida Keys must be closed Monday.
On Sunday “Eta” moved over Cuba with heavy rains. The exact extent of the damage in the most affected provinces of Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila and Granma is not yet known.
In Central America, “Eta” hit the Nicaraguan coast as a hurricane last Tuesday. Later it weakened to a tropical storm (less than 118 kilometers per hour). According to estimates, more than 200 people died in Central America and Mexico as a result of floods and landslides.
The water on the surface of the oceans is warming noticeably due to climate change. According to experts, this increases the likelihood of destructive cyclones forming. People in the coastal regions of the world are particularly exposed to the dangers of devastating storms.
