(NEW YORK) — Eta remnants are now emerging in the western Caribbean Sea between Belize and Honduras and are forecast to strengthen into a tropical storm later Friday and head north. It could threaten Florida this weekend.
Mudslides, due to heavy rain from Eta, killed at least 50 people in Guatemala Thursday. At least 40 inches of rain fell in the region.
Heavy rains have caused multiple landslides, and overflowed rivers and ravines, in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica. Thousands of people have been evacuated, and more than 100,000 are without electricity.
On satellite images, Eta’s new center is seen emerging in the western Caribbean Sea near Belize.
The official National Hurricane Center path shows that new Eta circulation is expected to strengthen over the Caribbean Sea Friday and turn into a tropical storm. It could have winds near 60 mph by Sunday as it crosses Cuba.
After that, Eta will be a strong tropical storm with winds near 65 mph as it nears south Florida on Sunday night.
Early next week, Eta will be in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, bringing flooding rain to Florida and parts of the Southeast.
Most models now agree that Eta will move north over Cuba and near Florida this weekend into early next week, bringing torrential rainfall and gusty winds to the state. Locally, a foot of rain is possible in southern Florida, with flash flooding a threat.
Taphouse_Studios/iStockBy WILLIAM MANSELL, ABC News
(PORTLAND, Ore.) — Protests in Portland, Oregon once again turned violent Thursday night as protesters targeted a city commissioner’s home and then set fire to the Portland City Hall, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
A group of around 60 people gathered at a North Portland park Thursday night and then left the area around 8:45 p.m. local time, marching toward the home of Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan.
Once there, authorities said protesters broke a window, threw burning flares and paint-filled balloons at the home and broke potted plants. Police then moved to disperse the crowd.
“The Portland Police Bureau and Portland Fire & Rescue are actively investigating this alarming criminal activity that put an entire neighborhood at risk,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “This is the fourth night in the past week Commissioner Ryan has had agitators cause both vandalism and disruption to his home and neighborhood.”
After dispersing the crowd, one vehicle connected to the demonstration fled from police, authorities said. That individual, Bryan Ortega-Schwartz, 36, was later apprehended and charged with attempt to elude in a vehicle and reckless driving. Police also made an additional arrest after protesters were blocking city streets.
It was at 10 p.m. when the sheriff’s office said Portland Fire and Rescue got a call that city hall was on fire. It is believed a burning object was thrown or placed at the door, which caused the fire. On-site security was able to extinguish the blaze before it could spread, authorities said.
A fire investigator is working the case and police are still looking for the suspect who lit the building on fire.
In total, three people were arrested Thursday night in relation to the violent protests.
If anyone has information, photos or videos of any criminal activity related to these events, they are asked to contact the Portland Police Bureau at (503) 823-4357.
(WASHINGTON) — Most out-of-town visitors to Washington, D.C., from states deemed high-risk for COVID-19, will be required to have a negative test before arriving in the district, but will no longer have to self-quarantine in the city for 14 days, according to an order signed Thursday by the city’s mayor.
With the new order, the nation’s capital joins New York, Connecticut and New Jersey in instituting requirements for visitors to help blunt the spread of the coronavirus amid an alarming increase in infection rates across the country.
“We want people to be safe and smart if they do travel,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a news conference Thursday.
Under the order, people traveling from 42 states that D.C. health officials have deemed high-risk for COVID-19 will be required to test negative for the virus 72 hours before traveling to the nation’s capital. Visitors staying longer than three days will have to take a second test three to five days after their arrival, according to the order.
“Obviously if they get a negative test they should not come to the district,” Bowser said.
She said visitors from the neighboring states of Virginia and Maryland will be exempt from the new requirements.
Bowser also said essential workers coming from out of state will be allowed to carry out their duties prior to getting their second negative test.
Visitors coming to D.C. for 24 hours or less will also be exempt, and people arriving from out of state for funerals or emergencies will not need to obtain a test prior to arriving if doing so is impractical, the mayor said.
She said D.C. residents returning home from out of state should limit their daily activities and self-monitor for 14 days, or get tested three to five days after they arrive home.
The new travel advisory goes into effect on Nov. 9.
Anyone in close contact with people who have tested positive for the virus are advised not to travel to the city, Bowser added.
The mayor also said the city will continue to provide free tests to visitors.
In announcing the new order, Bowser also urged residents not to travel over Thanksgiving or to host large gatherings of out-of-state guests over the upcoming holiday.
“We continue to ask people to limit their travel, but we also know people are going to come here and they’re more than likely not going to quarantine for 14 days if they do,” Bowser said.
Bowser said there are no plans to create “checkpoints” at airports or on highways. But the mayor said that private institutions such as universities, hospitals, hotels, congregate care facilities and houses of worship may ask visitors about their recent travel and can require proof of a negative COVID-19 test before allowing admittance.
(NEW YORK) — Eta continues to produce deadly floods in Central America, with some areas are getting up to 40 inches of rain.
At least for now, Eta is falling apart Thursday. The surface circulation has been broken up by high mountains and the system is not tropical anymore.
The National Hurricane Center and most computer models, however, believe that remnants of Eta have a chance of re-emerging in the northern Caribbean Sea and strengthening back to a tropical storm by Saturday.
On Sunday, the strengthened Eta will cross Cuba and will move into the Florida straits by early next week as a strong tropical storm with winds of 65 mph.
Heavy rain will spread into southern Florida well ahead of Eta this weekend, which could cause flooding, especially in the urban areas in Miami-Dade County.
A good amount of models show the system not coming back and just drifts south into the Pacific Ocean.
A European model shows the newly developed Eta just south of Florida Keys by Monday morning with heavy rain plaguing Miami-Dade County.
The National Weather Service in Miami said the heavy rain will begin well ahead of Eta, as tropical moisture moves north.
Rain, heavy at times, will begin Thursday into Friday and continue into next week. Some areas in southern Florida, on the east coast, could see 10 to 15 inches of rain, while the west coast of Florida could see 4 to 8 inches of rain.
Later next week, combined with the new moon causing king tide, flash flooding could be significant.
richjem/iStockBy OLIVIA RUBIN, IVAN PEREIRA, BILL HUTCHINSON and KENDALL KARSON, ABC News
(DETROIT) — A small group of angry demonstrators attempted to barge inside the TCF Center in Detroit on Wednesday afternoon, chanting “stop the count” as votes in the battleground state were being tallied, a spokesperson for the city’s police department told ABC News.
For capacity reasons, only a certain number of people are allowed inside the center at once, Sgt. Nicole Kirkwood said. Challengers, who needed to be approved by the election board, were rotated in and out of the building because of the size limitation, according to Kirkwood.
Michigan election laws permit registered voters in the state to observe ballot counting with approval, though it’s unclear if that was the group’s intent.
“Election challengers may be appointed by political parties and qualified interest groups to observe the election process,” the law states. Once approved, the challenger must abide by several rules, including one where they must wear an official credential while observing the count.
In photos and videos that went viral on social media, the group appeared to bang on the glass walls to be let in. Despite the commotion, Kirkwood said there were “no major concerns.”
“Everything is manageable. There are people out there chanting, but that’s about it,” Kirkwood told ABC News.
A poll challenger was removed from the ballot counting room by police, according to a videographer from Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV who was inside. However, Detroit police told ABC News that they did not make any arrests from the TCF Center.
Earlier in the day, the Macomb County GOP encouraged supporters to stop by the TCF Center, urging “all hands on deck!,” according to an email that was obtained by ABC News.
“Trained Poll Challengers and or Volunteers willing to be trained needed immediately at TCF Center (Cobo Hall),” the email read.
The Macomb County Republican Party didn’t immediately return messages to ABC News to comment on Wednesday’s incident.
The convention center is the major ballot processing location in Detroit, and ballots were still being counted in the key swing state. It is not clear exactly how many members of the group were at the TCF Center, and it was not clear who they were affiliated with.
ABC News projected that former Vice President Joe Biden will win the state of Michigan as the Democratic candidate led Trump 49.8%-48.6% — or a difference of 61,237 votes — with 97% of the votes tallied.
In New York, 20 people were arrested by the New York City Police Department after attempting to “hijack a peaceful protest by lighting fires, throwing garbage and eggs” in Manhattan Wednesday night, according to authorities.
“We appreciate and value the importance of freedom of speech,” NYPD said in a statement.
Police said they confiscated knives, M80 fireworks and a taser from the protests Wednesday night in the city.
“Bringing weapons to peaceful protests cannot and will not be tolerated. We are currently working to de-escalate the situation. Anyone caught with a weapon will be arrested,” NYPD said.
ABC NewsBy MAX GOLEMBO, ABC News
