MANAGUA – A fast-strengthening Hurricane Iota is sweeping over the western Caribbean and predicted to become a very dangerous Category 4 storm as it heads for the same part of Central American battered by a similarly powerful Hurricane Eta just over a week ago.Evacuations were being conducted from low-lying areas in Nicaragua and Honduras near their shared border, which appeared to be Iota's likely landfall.
Winds and rain were already being felt on the Nicaraguan coast Sunday night.Iota became a hurricane early Sunday and rapidly gained power, and was expected to pass over or near Colombia's Providencia island during the night.