Just a couple of weeks ago, Honduras was battered by Hurricane Eta, a storm that brought destruction and despair to throughout Central America. Then, less than two weeks later, Hurricane Iota did the same.

Hurricane Iota started as a tropical storm that formed over warm water in the south-central Caribbean. As it progressed toward landfall in Honduras, it grew in strength. Thanks to the warm tropical water, the system virtually turned from harmless to life-threatening in a matter of hours. Iota flooded cities, destroyed infrastructure, and crushed Honduras as it still reeled from the damage of Eta. Iota was a fast-moving system, but by the time it made landfall it was already a Category 5 hurricane, with sustained winds at a staggering 155 MPH, and gusts clocking in at 195 MPH. It was clear that this storm would shred Honduras and its surrounding countries. People as far as Mexico were picking up 2-4 inches of rain, but Honduras took the brunt of the storm. Though Hurricane Iota has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, it was devastating. 11 people lost their lives, and thousands more are left with nothing more than the clothes on their backs.

A day after Hurricane Iota tore through Central America, another system has now been observed forming in the Caribbean. It is unknown whether this will be a history-breaking third storm, or if it will simply die out in the open ocean (Related: Hurricane Patricia was another hurricane which devastated Central America).