The chronology of a tragedy
- Vivian Pavón
- Apr 1
- 5 min read
Photograph of the Honduran Fire Department.
Every story has a beginning. Hurricane Eta, which hit Central America hard, especially northwestern Honduras has one too. In this timeline, I will guide you through what happened in those crucial first hours and delve into the evolution of the natural phenomenon from a tropical depression to a Category 4 hurricane. To give you the full picture, we compiled information from the U.S. National Hurricane Center, the Permanent Contingency Commission (COPECO), and the Government of Honduras.
First things first. On what date did the National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) issue its advisory on Hurricane Eta? October 30th, 2020.
What happened in the hours following that notification?
That same Friday, October 30, César Quintanilla, a meteorology expert and employee of Televicentro, mentioned on the prime-time newscast that heavy rain was expected for the following week .
Two days later, on Sunday, November 1, the National Hurricane Center warned of the threat the natural phenomenon, then classified as a tropical storm, posed to various regions, as it forecast it would cause severe flooding and landslides.
This information was shared by journalist Edgardo Melgar on his program 30/30 on Sunday night. Together with Dr. Omar Videa, they urged the Honduran government to take urgent action on the matter and emphasized the need to cancel the Morazan Holiday, which was scheduled just 72 hours later.
This is an important context.
Why did the Morazán Holiday was being held in November?
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in an effort to provide a lifeline to the sinking Honduran economy, the Honduran government and the country's tourism sector agreed to move the Morazan Holiday to November. Normally celebrated on the first Wednesday of October, it gives people the freedom to spend several days at the beach, in the mountains, or to visit loved ones. Given the country's unclear health situation, it seemed neither right nor feasible to hold it on that date.
That's why it was postponed to November, even though there was still no clarity on the status of the coronavirus in Honduras. Decree 126-2020 modified the exception to the law to change this year's date.
Tourism is an important pillar of the Honduran economy, with nearly 276,000 people directly dependent on it for their income, according to Carlos Madero, Minister of General Coordination. Therefore, there was considerable pressure to ensure that the Morazan Holiday would not be reversed. Even SINAGER, the agency managing the pandemic in Honduras, allowed free movement during those days. This resulted in high traffic on the roads, hundreds of people staying in vulnerable locations, and, above all, a lack of protection from what was coming.
We're back in Eta. Monday, November 2, 2020
According to the National Hurricane Center, Eta has been upgraded to a hurricane status and has been upgraded to a tropical storm. COPECO has issued yellow and green alerts for the following departments:
At 8:30 AM, the Morazan Holiday was still in effect. This was confirmed by a group of government officials, who met to decide that plans would not be disrupted and that the holiday would remain in effect for Wednesday, November 4, all with the goal of strengthening the economy and the tourism sector.
This decision contrasted with the images seen early in the morning on Honduran newscasts. Channel HCH, in its morning edition, Likewise, it was decided to issue — COPECO.HONDURAS (@HondurasCopeco) November 1, 2020 " target="_blank"> showed how the municipality of Choloma was beginning to flood .
Barely an hour after announcing that the Morazan Holiday had not been canceled, COPECO issued a red alert for five departments. It's important to note that the department of Cortés, which ultimately bore the brunt of Eta's impact, was not declared a red alert at the time. This may have prevented residents from evacuating their homes in the area in a timely manner.
Monday, November 2. 12 hours later: National broadcast, Morazanic Holiday canceled.
After a day filled with images capturing the devastation of the natural phenomenon, which quickly escalated to Category 4 status, Minister Carlos Madero announced on national television that the Morazan Holiday was canceled . During that same television broadcast, the country also recorded 98,400 coronavirus cases.
Tuesday, November 3: Zero Hour.
Finally, COPECO issued a red alert for the departments of Cortés and Yoro. Severe flooding had already been reported in the eastern region of the country, specifically in the departments of Gracias a Dios, Olancho, and El Paraíso.
It is important to note that the Sula Valley, which is made up of 20 municipalities, has historically been vulnerable to flooding due to its soil and the rivers that flow through it.
Wednesday, November 4: A national emergency has been declared and people have two hours to evacuate risk areas.
Eta weakened to a tropical storm again, but its danger remained imminent. Just after noon on Wednesday, Juan Orlando Hernández announced a national emergency issued by COPECO (National Commission of Natural Resources) and placed the entire country on red alert. He also urged people living in vulnerable areas to leave their homes within the next two hours.
The problem was this: they couldn't get out . The water kept rising, and they were trapped. According to reports on the Benémerito Fire Department's social media, and numerous posts from the community, hundreds of people were trying to save their lives, crying out for help from the rooftops of their homes. The water level was very high, and in areas like the La Planeta sector of La Lima, the red alert announcement came too late.
Thursday, November 5: The mission to save lives
The streets of various sectors in Cortés ceased to be just that: streets. They became rivers that prevented those hundreds of people from reaching safety. Rivers that submerged their belongings, their family photos, their pets, and sadly… perhaps their own relatives. There were large mobilizations of boats belonging to civilians, as well as the state. Around 10 public and private helicopters flew through the skies performing aerial rescues, and an unimaginable number of Hondurans turned out to offer their support to those who had lost their dreams and the results of their hard work underwater.
The aftermath
The worst was already "over," but the streets remained flooded for several days, and the humanitarian crisis is advancing at a rapid pace: a country with a poverty level exceeding 60%, on top of that hit by the pandemic, and now by a hurricane. Powerful images continued to circulate online, and the emotionally devastated Honduran people's feelings were more palpable than ever. Throughout the country, and even from foreign lands, tons of aid were gradually collected and delivered—and continue to be delivered—to those most in need.
At the time this chronology is published, it is unpredictable to calculate the true value of the losses caused by Eta. And truly, the worst is not yet over, as another chapter could be added to this tragedy in the coming days. Hondurans are preparing for Hurricane Iota, which is just around the corner.