Hurricane Eta inched closer to Nicaragua's Caribbean coast with potentially devastating winds Tuesday, while heavy rains thrown off by the Category 4 storm's bands already were causing rivers to overflow across Central America. The hurricane had sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph), and the U.S. National Hurricane Center said it was likely to maintain that strength until making landfall in the morning. It was centered about 30 miles (45 kilometers) southeast of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, around 7 a.m. EST (1200 GMT) and moving west-southwest near 4 mph (6 kph). Hurricane-force winds were already blowing on land. The storm was nearing landfall just south of Bilwi, the main coastal city in the region. About 10,000 people were in shelters in that city and an equal amount were sheltered in smaller towns across the region, he said. The area had already been lashed with strong winds and heavy rain for hours. This could be only the beginning of Eta's destruction. The storm was forecast to spend the week meandering over Central America dumping rain measured in feet not inches. The quantities of rain expected drew comparisons to 1998's Hurricane Mitch, one of the most deadly Atlantic hurricanes in history. An archival report from the National Hurricane Center said Mitch led to the deaths of more than 9,000 people. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm QUICKTAKE ON SOCIAL: Follow QuickTake on Twitter: twitter.com/quicktake Like QuickTake on Facebook: facebook.com/quicktake Follow QuickTake on Instagram: instagram.com/quicktake Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJ0oQZ Email us at [email protected] QuickTake by Bloomberg is a global news network delivering up-to-the-minute analysis on the biggest news, trends and ideas for a new generation of leaders.