Eta leaves Cuba behind and heads for the American coast, where it will arrive like a hurricane

South Florida is in a state of emergency and preparations are being finalized for Eta’s arrival, which is expected to pass over the Keys before leaving for the Gulf of Mexico on Monday morning.

Tropical storm Eta, which has resulted in hundreds of deaths and disappearances in Central America, is headed for the United States after passing through Cuba in the last few hours, the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported this Sunday 8-N.

According to the US agency’s latest bulletin, issued at 13:00 local time (17:00 GMT), ETA could cause dangerous storm surges, flash floods and strong winds in Florida, although it will continue to affect the north coast of Cuba.

The meteorological phenomenon was at that time about 235 kilometers from Marathon Island, in the Florida Keys, about 275 kilometers from Miami, and continues its north-northwest course.

Once it went out to sea again, “Eta” strengthened again and had maximum sustained winds of 100km / h, close to reaching 119km / h which would make it a hurricane, according to the Saffir Simpson scale.

He is expected to break that level tonight just before his eye hits the Florida Keys.

But what worries most are the heavy rains it will leave in Cuba, Jamaica, the Bahamas and southern and central Florida in the next few hours.

“This rain can cause severe flash floods and life-threatening river floods in Cuba,” US experts warned.

In a report released this Sunday, Monroe County, in the far south of Florida and of which the Keys are a part, indicated that floods following the storm surge that is expected to cause Eta can reach up to 4 feet (1 , 2 meters) above average high tide.

There is a risk of flooding due to rainfall up to 12 inches (3.6 meters) high, with isolated maximum amounts near 18 inches (5.4 meters) as of Wednesday night, local authorities have warned.

The combination of the accumulation of rainwater and the storm can mean, they said, that roads can remain flooded “for days.”

Before this panorama, South Florida is in a state of emergency and preparations are being finalized for Eta’s arrival, which is expected to pass over the Keys before leaving for the Gulf of Mexico on Monday morning.

“Eta” landed in Cuba last morning for the second time after hitting Central America hard, where it impacted like a Category 4 hurricane and where the number of deaths and casualties continues to rise.