Hurricane Gert was a large
tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
that caused extensive flooding and mudslides throughout Central America and Mexico in September 1993. The seventh
named storm
Tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones are named by various warning centers to simplify communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings. The names are intended to reduce confusion in the ...
and third hurricane of the
annual hurricane season, Gert originated as a
tropical depression
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
from a
tropical wave
A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...
over the southwestern
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
on September 14. The next day, the cyclone briefly attained
tropical storm
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
strength before moving ashore in
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
and proceeding through
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
. It reorganized into a tropical storm over the
Gulf of Honduras
The Gulf or Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. From north to south, it runs for approximately 200 km (125 miles) from Dangriga, Belize, to La Ceiba, Honduras. ...
on September 17, but weakened back to a depression upon crossing the
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula (, also , ; es, Península de Yucatán ) is a large peninsula in southeastern Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north ...
. Once over the warm waters of the
Bay of Campeche
The Bay of Campeche ( es, Bahía de Campeche), or Campeche Sound, is a bight (geography), bight in the southern area of the Gulf of Mexico, forming the north side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexico, Mexic ...
, Gert quickly strengthened into a
Category 2 hurricane
Category, plural categories, may refer to:
Philosophy and general uses
*Categorization, categories in cognitive science, information science and generally
*Category of being
* ''Categories'' (Aristotle)
*Category (Kant)
*Categories (Peirce)
*C ...
by September 20. The hurricane made a final
landfall
Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
on the
Gulf Coast of Mexico
The Gulf Coast of Mexico or East Coast of Mexico stretches along the Gulf of Mexico from the border between Mexico and the United States at Matamoros, Tamaulipas all the way to the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula at Cancún. It includes the coastal ...
near
Tuxpan, Veracruz
Tuxpan (or Túxpam, fully Túxpam de Rodríguez Cano) is both a municipality and city located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The population of the city was 78,523 and of the municipality was 134,394 inhabitants, according to the INEGI census o ...
, with peak winds of 100 mph (155 km/h). The rugged terrain disrupted the cyclone's structure; Gert entered the Pacific Ocean as a depression near the state of
Nayarit
Nayarit (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit), is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its ...
on September 21, where it briefly redeveloped a few strong thunderstorms before dissipating at sea five days later.
Gert's broad wind circulation produced widespread and heavy rainfall across Central America through September 15–17. Combined with saturated soil following
Tropical Storm Bret The name Bret has been used for seven tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean.
* Tropical Storm Bret (1981), made landfall in southern Maryland, no real damage
* Tropical Storm Bret (1987), short-lived storm, remained in the eastern Atlantic Ocean
* ...
's passage a month earlier, the rain triggered widespread floods and mudslides that isolated thousands of people across numerous communities. In
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
, blustery weather destroyed a national park and led to significant losses in the agricultural and tourism sectors. Much of the
Mosquito Coast
The Mosquito Coast, also known as the Mosquitia or Mosquito Shore, historically included the area along the eastern coast of present-day Nicaragua and Honduras. It formed part of the Western Caribbean Zone. It was named after the local Miskit ...
of Nicaragua and Honduras endured overflowing rivers, engulfing cities, villages, and crops with mud and water. Gert's winds were at their strongest upon landfall in Mexico, yet the worst effects in the country were also due to freshwater flooding after an extreme rainfall event in the
Huasteca region resulted in water accumulations as high as 31.41 inches (798 mm). An increasing number of major rivers burst their banks over a period of several days, fully submerging extensive areas of land around the
Pánuco basin. Tens of thousands of residents were forced to evacuate as raging floodwaters demolished scores of structures in what was described as the region's worst disaster in 40 years.
In Gert's wake, the road networks across the affected countries remained severely disrupted for extended periods of time, hampering rescue missions and relief efforts in badly flooded regions. National governments and emergency workers opened shelters and distributed food for the thousands that had lost their homes and sources of income in the storm. Throughout Central America and Mexico, Gert claimed the lives of 116 people and left 16 others missing. The disaster left swaths of private property, infrastructure, and farmland in complete ruins, amounting to damage costs of more than $170 million (1993 USD). Despite the excessive damage and catastrophic loss of life caused by the storm, the name ''Gert'' was not retired following the season, and was used again in the
1999 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1999 Atlantic hurricane season had five Category 4 hurricanes – the highest number recorded in a single season in the Atlantic basin, previously tied in 1961, and later tied in 2005 and 2020. The season officially began on June&n ...
.
Meteorological history
Hurricane Gert had a complex lifespan as a large and slow-moving tropical cyclone, repeatedly interacting with nearby landmasses and other atmospheric systems. Its genesis was traced to a
tropical wave
A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...
—an
area of low pressure
In meteorology, a low-pressure area, low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclement weather (such as cloudy, windy, with possible ...
oriented north to south—that moved off the
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
n coast to the south of
Dakar
Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...
on September 5, 1993. The wave tracked westward across the
tropical Atlantic
The Tropical Atlantic realm is one of twelve marine realms that cover the world's coastal seas and continental shelves.
The Tropical Atlantic covers both sides of the Atlantic. In the western Atlantic, it extends from Bermuda, southern Florida, ...
at a rapid pace and relatively low
latitude
In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pol ...
s, where its interaction with the
Intertropical Convergence Zone
The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ ), known by sailors as the doldrums or the calms because of its monotonous windless weather, is the area where the northeast and the southeast trade winds converge. It encircles Earth near the thermal e ...
fostered the formation of
convection
Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convec ...
. On its approach to the Caribbean, the system developed a weak
low-pressure center at sea level, which crossed
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
on September 11. Although most of the cloud field brushed over the northern coast of
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
, the system survived its contact with land and emerged over the southwestern
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
on September 13.
There, owing to favorable
tropospheric
The troposphere is the first and lowest layer of the atmosphere of the Earth, and contains 75% of the total mass of the planetary atmosphere, 99% of the total mass of water vapour and aerosols, and is where most weather phenomena occur. From ...
conditions aloft, the wave showed signs of
cyclonic development, as its convection thickened into curved, well-defined
bands. Given these structural changes alongside a defined surface circulation, forecasters at the
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 3 ...
(NHC) classified the system as a
tropical depression
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
at 1800
UTC on September 14, when it was located 105 miles (165 km) north of the Atlantic coast of
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
.
From its inception onwards, the depression exhibited a rather large wind field on
satellite images
Satellite images (also Earth observation imagery, spaceborne photography, or simply satellite photo) are images of Earth collected by imaging satellites operated by governments and businesses around the world. Satellite imaging companies sell im ...
and
radiosonde
A radiosonde is a battery-powered telemetry instrument carried into the atmosphere usually by a weather balloon that measures various atmospheric parameters and transmits them by radio to a ground receiver. Modern radiosondes measure or calcula ...
data.
Its broad cloud pattern gradually coalesced, and by 0900 UTC on September 15, the NHC had determined it sufficiently strong to be upgraded to Tropical Storm Gert. The center of the storm proceeded west-northwestward, moving ashore near
Bluefields
Bluefields is the capital of the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region, South Caribbean Autonomous Region in Nicaragua. It was also the capital of the former Mosquito Coast, Kingdom of Mosquitia, and later the Zelaya Department, which was divid ...
,
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
, with
winds
Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few hou ...
of 40 mph (65 km/h) at 1800 UTC.
Gert's interaction with land impeded additional strengthening; the storm weakened back to a tropical depression just six hours after its landfall. While the storm's center remained land-bound for nearly two days, parts of its large circulation abutted the adjacent Caribbean and
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
waters to draw in moisture and heat. As such, Gert retained its status as a tropical cyclone on its journey northwestward across the terrains of Nicaragua and
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
.
In doing so, the storm consistently defied the NHC's forecasts for its imminent dissipation.
![14-E 1993](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/14-E_1993.jpg)
On September 17, Gert finally exited the coast, accessed the waters of the
Gulf of Honduras
The Gulf or Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. From north to south, it runs for approximately 200 km (125 miles) from Dangriga, Belize, to La Ceiba, Honduras. ...
and restrengthened to a tropical storm. Its duration over water—and with that any opportunity for additional strengthening—was curtailed by a mid- to
upper-level trough over the eastern
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
; it turned the storm to the north-northwest and brought it over the coast of Belize the next day. Inland, Gert began to interact with a
high-pressure ridge to its northwest, which nudged the storm slightly more to the west.
After crossing the
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula (, also , ; es, Península de Yucatán ) is a large peninsula in southeastern Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north ...
and winding down over land, Gert entered the
Bay of Campeche
The Bay of Campeche ( es, Bahía de Campeche), or Campeche Sound, is a bight (geography), bight in the southern area of the Gulf of Mexico, forming the north side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexico, Mexic ...
offshore
Champotón as a tropical depression late on September 18.
The open tropical waters, combined with light
wind shear
Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...
aloft, allowed the storm's convection to deepen and reconsolidate. At 0600 UTC the next day, Gert once more restrengthened into a tropical storm. The storm veered toward the west and slowed slightly in response to a
shortwave trough
A shortwave or shortwave trough is an embedded kink in the trough / ridge pattern. Its length scale is much smaller than that of and is embedded within longwaves, which are responsible for the largest scale (synoptic scale) weather systems. Shor ...
to its north, granting it more time to mature over water.
On September 20, data from a
United States Air Force aircraft indicated that Gert had become a hurricane with maximum winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). Within hours, it attained its peak intensity as a Category 2 hurricane on the
Saffir–Simpson scale, with sustained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) and a minimum
pressure
Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and e ...
of 970
mbar
The bar is a metric unit of pressure, but not part of the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as exactly equal to 100,000 Pa (100 kPa), or slightly less than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea leve ...
(
hPa HPA may refer to:
Organizations
* Harry Potter Alliance, a charity
* Halifax Port Authority, Canada
* Hamburg Port Authority, Germany
* Hawaii Preparatory Academy, a school in Hawaii, US
* Health Protection Agency, UK
* Heerespersonalamt, the Ger ...
; 28.64
inHg
Inch of mercury (inHg and ″Hg) is a non- SI unit of measurement for pressure. It is used for barometric pressure in weather reports, refrigeration and aviation in the United States.
It is the pressure exerted by a column of mercury in heigh ...
).
At about 2100 UTC on September 20, Gert made its final
landfall
Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
at peak intensity on the coast of
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, just north of
Tuxpan
Tuxpan (or Túxpam, fully Túxpam de Rodríguez Cano) is both a municipality and city located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The population of the city was 78,523 and of the municipality was 134,394 inhabitants, according to the INEGI census o ...
,
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
. The hurricane accelerated and weakened quickly over the rugged mountains of the
Sierra Madre Oriental
The Sierra Madre Oriental () is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico. The Sierra Madre Oriental is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that f ...
, deteriorating into a tropical depression by September 21. Despite its declining strength, the large circulation again remained intact as it crossed the country. Gert entered the Pacific Ocean off the coast of
Nayarit
Nayarit (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit), is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its ...
later that day, where the NHC
reclassified
''Reclassified'' is the reissue of Australian rapper Iggy Azalea's debut studio album, ''The New Classic'' (2014). It was released internationally on 21 November 2014 by Virgin EMI Records, and in the United States on 24 November 2014 by Def ...
it as Tropical Depression Fourteen-E.
What remained of the deep convection waxed and waned in intensity; satellite estimates show the depression may have briefly regained tropical storm strength on September 22. It proceeded on a west to west-northwestward track with sparse thunderstorms for two days. Once the last of this convection diminished, the shallow cyclone was swept up by low-level
flow
Flow may refer to:
Science and technology
* Fluid flow, the motion of a gas or liquid
* Flow (geomorphology), a type of mass wasting or slope movement in geomorphology
* Flow (mathematics), a group action of the real numbers on a set
* Flow (psych ...
. Steered farther and farther southwest, the depression encountered increasingly cool ocean temperatures. With any chance at redevelopment thwarted, the system dissipated at sea on September 26.
Preparations
After confirming the development of a tropical depression, authorities in
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
issued a green alert for coastal regions on September 14.
The following day, a
tropical storm warning
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local popul ...
was issued for the Atlantic coast of the country.
National television and radio stations broadcast warning messages to the public, and emergency crews were dispatched in case conditions were to warrant intervention. This helped with the effective and timely clearing of hospitals, as well as the evacuation of residents in high-risk zones.
A tropical storm warning was posted for the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua on September 15, extending south from
Puerto Cabezas
Puerto Cabezas (; en, Bragman's Bluff; miq, Bilwi) is a municipality and city in Nicaragua. It is the capital of Miskito nation in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region.
The municipality and the entire region are native American lands. ...
to the adjacent islands.
In Honduras, early storm warnings allowed several hundred residents to evacuate well ahead of Gert's arrival.
Once it became evident that the storm would strike the Yucatán Peninsula, coastal areas from
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
northward to
Cozumel, Mexico
Cozumel (; yua, Kùutsmil) is an island and municipality in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen. It is separated from the mainland by the Cozumel Channel and is close to the Yucatán ...
, were placed under a tropical storm warning on September 17 until Gert's landfall the next day.
While Gert was still located over the peninsula, the government of Mexico issued a
tropical storm watch
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local popul ...
for the Gulf Coast from the city of
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
northward to
Soto la Marina, Tamaulipas Soto la Marina is a town in Soto la Marina Municipality located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast ...
. By September 18, it was upgraded to a tropical storm warning and extended southward to
Minatitlán, although the initial watch area was placed under a
hurricane watch
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local popul ...
after Gert showed signs of strengthening. The next day, the tropical storm watch from Soto La Marina to
Nautla
Nautla is a settlement in the Mexican state of Veracruz.
''Nautla'' comes from the Nahuatl ''naui'', 'four'; and from ''tlan'', that means 'place'; so it is known as 'Four Places'.
History
First it was a prehispanic town that was in Casitas, ...
was upgraded to a
hurricane warning
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local popul ...
as it became clearer where Gert would make landfall.
Prior to impact, several ports along the Gulf Coast halted their operations, and people living in risk zones were evacuated. All warnings and watches were discontinued after the hurricane moved inland.
Impact
Gert was a large tropical cyclone for most of its lifespan; it always remained close enough to the coast to restrengthen and redevelop strong thunderstorms. In consequence, the storm produced heavy rainfall over a large area, causing extensive flooding and mudslides from Central America to Mexico. The disaster resulted in at least 116 deaths and 16 missing persons; damage to roads, property, crops and vegetation surmounted $170 million.
Costa Rica
![Puerto Escondido P N Manuel Antonio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Puerto_Escondido_P_N_Manuel_Antonio.JPG)
Although Gert's center remained off the coast of Costa Rica, its large circulation produced brisk winds and heavy rainfall across the country. A local weather station recorded 13.1 inches (332 mm) of rain during the storm. Geologically, the hardest-hit regions consisted of sedimentary layers with poor
hydraulic conductivity
Hydraulic conductivity, symbolically represented as (unit: m/s), is a property of porous materials, soils and rocks, that describes the ease with which a fluid (usually water) can move through the pore space, or fractures network. It depends on th ...
and were therefore prone to soil saturation.
The initial rainfall raised the levels of many rivers, exacerbating the flood threat. The imminent overflow of the
Tempisque River
The Tempisque River, or Río Tempisque, is long, located entirely in Costa Rica flowing from the Guanacaste Cordillera near the Orosí Volcano and emptying into the Gulf of Nicoya. It passes through the Palo Verde National Park and is an impor ...
prompted wide-scale evacuations, though the river crested gradually without major consequences. After hours of prolonged rainfall, many Pacific regions such as
Quepos
Quepos () is a districts of Costa Rica, district of the canton of Quepos (canton), Quepos, in the province of Puntarenas Province, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Toponymy
The town is named for the native Quepo Indians who inhabited the place in the colo ...
,
Pérez Zeledón, and
Osa experienced flooding and landslides, which inflicted moderate damage to roads and bridges.
The floods ruined about of banana crop and damaged
oil palm
''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms containing two species, called oil palms. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African oil palm ''Elaeis guineensis'' (the species name ''guineensis'' referring to its co ...
plantations. Small-scale farmers of
reed
Reed or Reeds may refer to:
Science, technology, biology, and medicine
* Reed bird (disambiguation)
* Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times
* Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales
* Re ...
,
maize
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...
, beans, and rice were also affected. The storm disrupted local fishing and wrecked several small boats in Quepos.
High winds brought great destruction to about 65 percent of the vegetation in the
Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio) is a small national park in the Central Pacific Conservation Area located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, just south of the city of Quepos, Puntarenas, and from the nation ...
, vastly impacting the tourism-driven economy of Quepos.
Gert left moderate property damage in its wake; it destroyed 27 homes and otherwise damaged 659, mostly because of flooding. Overall costs totaled $3.1 million, of which $1.7 million was due to the impaired infrastructure. Roughly 1,000 people sought shelter during the storm. Owing to the timely preparations in the country, only one cardiac arrest fatality was attributable to Gert when a landslide buried a home.
Nicaragua
Moving ashore in Nicaragua a month after
Tropical Storm Bret The name Bret has been used for seven tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean.
* Tropical Storm Bret (1981), made landfall in southern Maryland, no real damage
* Tropical Storm Bret (1987), short-lived storm, remained in the eastern Atlantic Ocean
* ...
's passage, Gert caused excessive rainfall over already saturated regions.
Despite striking the Atlantic coast, the storm produced the largest amounts of precipitation over northern and Pacific coastal areas. A maximum of 17.8 in (452 mm) fell at
Corinto; other significant totals include 17.6 in (447 mm) at
Chinandega
Chinandega () is a city and the departmental seat of Chinandega department in Nicaragua. It is also the administrative centre of the surrounding municipality of the same name. It is Nicaragua's 2nd most important city (economy) and 6th largest c ...
and 17.5 in (444 mm) at
León. The capital of
Managua
)
, settlement_type = Capital city
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Nicara ...
recorded 9.8 in (249 mm) of rain during the event. Sustained winds from the storm reached no more than 40 mph (65 km/h) upon landfall near Bluefields,
though they downed trees and power lines and generated high waves of up to 12 feet (3.7 m) offshore.
[ as archived in ] After weakening to a depression inland, Gert continued to produce moderate gales along its path through the country.
![Lake Nicaragua 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Lake_Nicaragua_2.jpg)
Off the coast near
Big Corn Island, rough surf and winds destroyed nine fishing boats. Two canoes with an unknown number of occupants disappeared at sea. Gert produced significant
coastal flooding
Coastal flooding normally occurs when dry and low-lying land is submerged by seawater. The range of a coastal flooding is a result of the elevation of floodwater that penetrates the inland which is controlled by the topography of the coastal land ...
on moving ashore near Bluefields and
Tasbapauni
Tasbapauni is a seacoast hamlet in Nicaragua, north of Bluefields. The main ethnic groups are Creole and Miskito.
Ida, a hurricane from the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season, made landfall here.
Tasbapauni is a rich community in natural resources ...
, prompting about 1,000 residents and hundreds of indigenous
Miskito villagers to evacuate.
Farther inland, prolonged heavy rain caused numerous rivers to overflow, which led to disastrous freshwater flooding, especially in departments around
Lake Nicaragua
Lake Nicaragua or Cocibolca or Granada ( es, Lago de Nicaragua, , or ) is a freshwater lake in Nicaragua. Of tectonic origin and with an area of , it is the largest lake in Central America, the 19th largest lake in the world (by area) and the ...
. Three
tributaries
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage b ...
of the
Escondido River, one of which rose 32 ft (10 m) above normal, overflowed near the city of
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
.
[ Hosted by ''ecapra.org''.] Reaching heights of up to 40 ft (12 m), flood waters submerged 95 percent of the residential space, entering houses and vehicles and displacing 17,000 citizens. All crops in and around the city were lost in the deluge.
[ Catalogued by the ]Institute of History of Nicaragua and Central America
The Institute of History of Nicaragua and Central America (Spanish: ''Instituto de Historia de Nicaragua y Centroamérica'', ''IHNCA'') is a research institute that is connected to the Central American University in Nicaragua.
The institute is se ...
.[ Catalogued by the ]Institute of History of Nicaragua and Central America
The Institute of History of Nicaragua and Central America (Spanish: ''Instituto de Historia de Nicaragua y Centroamérica'', ''IHNCA'') is a research institute that is connected to the Central American University in Nicaragua.
The institute is se ...
. In the
Rivas Department
Rivas () is a department of the Republic of Nicaragua. It covers an area of 2,162 km2 and has a population of 183,611 (2021 estimate). The department's capital is the city of Rivas.
Overview
Rivas is known for its fertile soil and beautif ...
, the discharge from the
Ochomogo River near the city of
Rivas inundated several communities, while
Cárdenas, a coastal community along the border with Costa Rica, endured several days of flooding rains.
Damage in the departments of
Chontales and
Boaco
Boaco () is the capital city and a municipality of the Boaco Department of Nicaragua. The municipality of Boaco has a population of 62,936 (2021 est.) and an area of 1,087 km2 (26% of the Boaco Department) while the department (state) is 4,17 ...
was considerable;
floods in Boaco killed five people and affected 6,000 others.
The affected regions endured widespread disruptions in transportation as landslides moved onto bridges and roads;
in
Granada city, the isolation caused sanitation issues and led to the death of a pregnant woman who could not be transported to the hospital.
[ Catalogued by the ]Institute of History of Nicaragua and Central America
The Institute of History of Nicaragua and Central America (Spanish: ''Instituto de Historia de Nicaragua y Centroamérica'', ''IHNCA'') is a research institute that is connected to the Central American University in Nicaragua.
The institute is se ...
.
In total, Gert destroyed 252 houses and damaged another 293 across 14 of Nicaragua's departments;
the storm was also responsible for considerable infrastructural damage and economic losses.
As many as 123,000 people were affected throughout the country, and there were 37 confirmed fatalities.
The impact on the ecology was profound: rivers, estuaries, and
mangrove
A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evoluti ...
s in and around lakes Nicaragua and
Managua
)
, settlement_type = Capital city
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Nicara ...
, as well as the inhabiting fauna, suffered from severe erosion and
siltation
Siltation, is water pollution caused by particulate terrestrial clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments and to the increased accumulation (temporary or ...
.
[ Catalogued by the ]Institute of History of Nicaragua and Central America
The Institute of History of Nicaragua and Central America (Spanish: ''Instituto de Historia de Nicaragua y Centroamérica'', ''IHNCA'') is a research institute that is connected to the Central American University in Nicaragua.
The institute is se ...
. Since flooding from Tropical Storm Bret had occurred just one month earlier, an exclusive damage estimate for Gert is unavailable. The two storms inflicted a combined $10.7 million in damage, primarily to private property.
Honduras
![Surface weather map Tropical Depression Gert 1993](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Surface_weather_map_Tropical_Depression_Gert_1993.gif)
Although it had weakened to a depression, Gert continued to drop significant rainfall while crossing Honduras. In
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa (, , ), formally Tegucigalpa, Municipality of the Central District ( es, Tegucigalpa, Municipio del Distrito Central or ''Tegucigalpa, M.D.C.''), and colloquially referred to as ''Tegus'' or ''Teguz'', is the capital and largest city ...
, at least 6.77 in (172 mm) of rain were recorded.
Damaging floods swept through 13 of
the country's 18 departments; however, northern Honduras and the
Mosquitia Region, which had already endured the onslaught of Tropical Storm Bret in the previous month, bore the brunt of the devastation. The additional flooding from Gert affected 24,000 people in the region and made communication with surrounding areas nearly impossible.
Elsewhere, the rain filled several major rivers, including the
Ulúa;
many rivers across the
Sula Valley
The Valley of Sula (also, Sula Valley) is the largest alluvial valley of Honduras. It is located in the northwest of the country, and within it lie several of Honduras's most important cities, such as San Pedro Sula, El Progreso, Choloma, Puert ...
had their banks destroyed, flooding much of
San Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sula () is the capital of Cortés Department, Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country in the Sula Valley, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean Sea. With a population of 671,460 ...
—the country's second-largest city—and adjacent municipalities in the
Cortés Department
Cortés is one of the 18 departments of Honduras. The department covers an area of 3,954 km² and, in 2015, had an estimated population of 1,612,762, making it the most populous in Honduras. The Merendón Mountains rise in western Cortés, ...
. The rising water prompted many residents to evacuate, and the
Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport
Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional Ramón Villeda Morales) , also known as La Mesa International Airport, is located southeast of the city of San Pedro Sula, in the Cortés Department of Honduras.
The ...
halted all of its operations.
The storm devastated
Puerto Cortés
Puerto Cortés, originally known as Puerto de Caballos, is a port city and municipality on the north Caribbean coast of Honduras, right on the Laguna de Alvarado, north of San Pedro Sula and east of Omoa, with a natural bay. The present city ...
, one of the most important port cities in Central America.
Elsewhere in the Cortés Department, a river in
Choloma
Choloma is a city and municipality in the Honduran department of Cortés. It is the third-largest city in Honduras with a population of 202,000 (2020 calculation).
Many factories are stationed in Choloma due to its cheap labour which has booste ...
overflowed and triggered widespread flooding;
landslides in that area claimed the lives of six people.
In all, Gert wrought $10 million worth of damage to roads, bridges, and property.
The country's agriculture was devastated, losing about of low-lying farmland with banana, sugar, and citrus crops.
The disaster affected 67,447 people, of which roughly 60 percent had to evacuate from their homes. In its final public statement, the government of Honduras confirmed 27 deaths, though 12 missing persons remained unaccounted for.
Elsewhere in Central America
While passing through Central America, Gert generated an increase in cloudiness and showers across
El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
,
with a maximum 15.35 in (390 mm) of rain recorded. Strong winds uprooted trees or snapped their limbs, damaging power lines and knocking out power. In one community, mudslides destroyed a major highway.
The
Río Grande de San Miguel
Río Grande de San Miguel is a river in southern El Salvador, Central America.
It flows into the Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the ...
caused an excessive discharge of water just southwest of
Usulután
Usulután () is the fifth largest city in El Salvador, and capital of the Usulután Department in the south-east of El Salvador.
As of 2006, it is estimated to have population of 71,636 people. Usulután rests in a rich agricultural valley and ...
,
washing out about of crops from adjacent plantations. Several other areas faced significant losses from the flooding, including
San Marcos
San Marcos is the Spanish name of Saint Mark. It may also refer to:
Towns and cities Argentina
* San Marcos, Salta
Colombia
* San Marcos, Antioquia
* San Marcos, Sucre
Costa Rica
* San Marcos, Costa Rica (aka San Marcos de Tarrazú)
...
and
San Vicente; some property and road damage occurred in
San Miguel.
Although fishing operations were suspended at the height the storm, four Salvadorean fishermen disappeared at sea.
Overall, Gert affected nearly 8,000 residents and destroyed twelve homes in El Salvador;
officials there confirmed five drowning deaths related to the storm.
In
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
, torrential rains from Gert affected approximately 20,000 people and killed one girl. The agricultural sector in the country suffered substantial losses from the flooding, though there were no specific reports of material damage.
Gert moved ashore near Belize City as a minimal tropical storm, dropping rainfall in coastal areas. Just offshore, a weather station on
Hunting Caye recorded 9.5 in (241 mm) during the event. Despite the rain, only minor flooding occurred in Belize City.
Mexico
While crossing the Yucatán Peninsula, Gert dropped considerable rainfall in
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo ( , ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo), is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 11 mu ...
; a 24-hour accumulation of 7.4 in (188 mm) was recorded at
Chetumal
Chetumal (, , ; yua, label=Yucatec Maya, Chactemàal , ) is a city on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. It is the capital of the state of Quintana Roo and the municipal seat of the Municipality of Othón P. Blanco. In 2020 i ...
, although higher localized totals of around 15 in (380 mm) fell elsewhere in the state.
Gusty winds briefly buffeted the coast during the storm's landfall, with a maximum wind speed of 44 mph (70 km/h) recorded in Chetumal.
The effects of the storm were limited to localized floods, however, which cut off one road to traffic and forced the inhabitants from low-lying areas in Chetumal and
Felipe Carrillo Puerto
Felipe Carrillo Puerto (8 November 1874 – 3 January 1924) was a Mexican journalist, politician and revolutionary who became known for his efforts at reconciliation between the Yucatec Maya and the Mexican government after the Caste War. He ...
to evacuate to higher ground. Scattered showers also caused light flooding in parts of the state of
Campeche
Campeche (; yua, Kaampech ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Campeche ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Campeche), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in southeast Mexico, it is bordered by ...
, including
Ciudad del Carmen
Ciudad del Carmen is a city in the southwest of the Mexican state of Campeche. Ciudad del Carmen is located at on the southwest of Carmen Island, which stands in the Laguna de Términos on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. , Ciudad del Carmen ha ...
.
![Gert1993filledrainblk](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Gert_1993_rainfall.gif)
Upon Gert's final landfall, high gales and waves battered wide stretches of coastline in the states of
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
and Veracruz, though hurricane-force winds were largely confined to areas within the cyclone's southern
eyewall
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather at the center of tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area, typically in diameter. It is surrounded by the ''eyewall'', a ring of towering thunderstorms where the most severe weat ...
.
Tuxpan, just south of where the eye moved ashore,
recorded wind velocities of more than 100 mph (160 km/h), while 80 mph (130 km/h) gusts occurred farther south in
Poza Rica
Poza Rica (), formally: Poza Rica de Hidalgo is a city and its surrounding municipality in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Its name means "rich well/pond". It is often thought that the name came to be because it was a place known for its abundance ...
. To the north, winds reached 55 mph (90 km/h) in
Tampico, Tamaulipas
Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fifth ...
. Despite the severity of the winds, the worst of Gert was due to
orographic lift
Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and cr ...
when its broad circulation interacted with the eastern side of the Sierra Madre Oriental, generating extreme precipitation over much of the
Huasteca region.
As many as 31.41 in (798 mm) of rain were recorded in
Aquismón
Aquismón is a town and municipality in San Luis Potosí in central Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United St ...
,
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí), is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and i ...
, while
Tempoal in Veracruz observed a 24-hour total of 13.35 in (339 mm) from the storm.
The first signs of damage were from high winds on September 20, which uprooted trees and tore off residential roofs in Tuxpan,
Naranjos,
Cerro Azul, and Poza Rica. Following Gert's extreme rains, catastrophic flooding struck Mexico's Huasteca region over a period of several days, as many of its rivers rose to critical levels. In Veracruz, the imminent overflow of the
Tempoal,
Moctezuma, and
Calabozo
Calabozo, officially Villa de Todos los Santos de Calabozo, is a city in Venezuela located in the Guárico state, capital of the Francisco de Miranda Municipality and former capital of the state. It has a population of 168,605, according to t ...
rivers forced thousands of residents from the municipalities of
Tempoal,
El Higo, and
Platón Sánchez to leave their homes. The Calabozo River eventually topped its banks, cutting the village of
Platón Sánchez off from the outside world. By far the most devastating, however, was the overflow of the
Pánuco River
The Pánuco River ( es, Río Pánuco, ), also known as the ''Río de Canoas'', is a river in Mexico fed by several tributaries including the Moctezuma River and emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. The river is approximately long and passes throug ...
on September 24, which runs from the
Valley of Mexico
The Valley of Mexico ( es, Valle de México) is a highlands plateau in central Mexico roughly coterminous with present-day Mexico City and the eastern half of the State of Mexico. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, the Valley of Mexico wa ...
through the municipality of
Pánuco and empties in the gulf. Rushing water swept through 30 of
Veracruz's 212 municipalities, completely submerging more than 5,000 homes. El Higo bore the brunt of the flooding, with 90 percent of its residential area left under water.
After days of continued downpours in Gert's wake, the Pánuco River rose to 27.60 ft (8.72 m) above normal by September 27—its highest level in 40 years. Once again exceeding its banks, the river destroyed a major levee in city of
Pánuco, forcing 8,000 residents to evacuate.
Disastrous flooding reached as far north as southern Tamaulipas, where 5,000 people had to seek refuge. Half of Tampico was coated in deep layers of mud, with scores of structures demolished.
The urban areas of
Madero and
Altamira
Altamira may refer to:
People
* Altamira (surname)
Places
*Cave of Altamira, a cave in Cantabria, Spain famous for its paintings and carving
*Altamira, Pará, a city in the Brazilian state of Pará
* Altamira, Huila, a town and municipality in ...
were also hit by the deluge.
Roughly of land around the Pánuco basin and Tampico were under water, including vast amounts of citrus, coffee, corn, maiz, bean, grain, and soy crops. Telephone, water, and electricity services throughout the region were severely disrupted, and numerous communities were isolated due to broken bridges and roads.
In San Luis Potosí, water damage to schools, bridges, and roads was particularly widespread. The agricultural sector suffered heavy losses when the flooding washed away large amounts of livestock and roughly 80 percent of its crops. Throughout the state, 55,000 residents were affected by the storm, and 25 people lost their lives.
Gert's trail of destruction extended as far inland as
Hidalgo
Hidalgo may refer to:
People
* Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility
* Hidalgo (surname)
Places
Mexico
* Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico
* Hidalgo, Coahuila, a town in the north Mexican state of Coahuila
* Hidalgo, Nuevo Le ...
, where 35 rivers overtopped their banks. Floods and mudslides destroyed 38 bridges and 86 roads, as well cutting off power, telephone, and water services, disrupting communication in 361 localities. Property damage in Hidalgo was significant; 4,425 homes, 121 schools, and 49 public buildings were compromised across 35 municipalities. About of farmland were destroyed in the storm. Fifteen deaths occurred in the state, and eight people sustained injuries.
Overall, Gert became the worst natural disaster to strike the region in 40 years;
it displaced 203,500 people—many in need of shelter—and left 29,075 houses damaged or destroyed across Mexico.
More than of crops were in ruins.
Material damage totaled $156 million, and the death toll stood at 45.
Aftermath
Central America
Because of the storm's impact on the country, the government of Costa Rica declared a
national emergency
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
on September 16, 1993.
Emergency crews were dispatched to assess the damage and distribute life supplies to the affected population, including 90,940 lbs (41,250 kg) of food, 1,422 mattresses, and 1,350 blankets.
With much of the road network left disrupted across the affected regions, the country's agriculture, tourism, and commerce suffered considerable losses.
In particular, the obstruction of the major
Pan-American Highway
The Pan-American Highway (french: (Auto)route panaméricaine/transaméricaine; pt, Rodovia/Auto-estrada Pan-americana; es, Autopista/Carretera/Ruta Panamericana) is a network of roads stretching across the Americas and measuring about in to ...
, which connects the central region to the south of the country, had a discernible impact on the local economy. Following the expansive flooding of farmland, many independent crop producers were unable to partake in subsequent
sowing
Sowing is the process of planting seeds. An area or object that has had seeds planted in it will be described as a sowed or sown area.
Plants which are usually sown
Among the major field crops, oats, wheat, and rye are sown, grasses and leg ...
s.
Prior to Gert, a state of emergency had been in effect for Nicaragua as a result of Tropical Storm Bret. National and regional aid agencies, including the
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
, accordingly extended their relief efforts with the passage of Gert.
Following the widespread muddy floods, many rural areas along the coast where the storm made landfall necessitated purification of their water wells and reconstruction of those that had been destroyed.
Although the government did not reappeal for international assistance, several cash donations were made by overseas organizations through a transfer channel at the
Swiss Bank Corporation
Swiss Bank Corporation was a Swiss investment bank and financial services company located in Switzerland. Prior to its merger, the bank was the third largest in Switzerland with over CHF300 billion of assets and CHF11.7 billion of equ ...
. The
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
provided $50,000 for the purchase of fuel, and
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
distributed $25,000 worth of household supplies and medicine. The
World Food Programme
The World Food Programme; it, Programma alimentare mondiale; es, Programa Mundial de Alimentos; ar, برنامج الأغذية العالمي, translit=barnamaj al'aghdhiat alealami; russian: Всемирная продовольствен ...
donated 160,000 lbs (72
tonne
The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United State ...
s) of food supplies and offered disaster expert services. The federal governments of Japan, Canada, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, and Spain donated a combined $300,000 in aid.
On September 18, the President of Honduras declared a state of emergency for several municipalities after surveying the affected regions by helicopter. The governments of Japan, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom provided a combined $310,300 for the purchase of relief items. Although most storm victims received aid within a few days, the deteriorated road network caused a large delay in relief efforts to the hard-hit Mosquitia region. Sewage systems and waterworks countrywide were in serious need of restoration.
With the destruction of its sole water reservoir, much of Puerto Cortés endured potable water shortages for months in Gert's wake.
Public health concerns rose in the wake of Gert, with the cost of required medicines pinned at $208,000.
A contamination of the water supplies in rural areas exacerbated a
cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
outbreak.
By September 28, about 27,000 residents unable to reenter their flooded homes remained in government shelters. Seven weeks later, a temporary housing project was implemented for the 120 families most in need. Approximately 5,900 families across Honduras lost their source of income due to the storm.
Mexico
![Hurricane Gert visible satellite loop](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Hurricane_Gert_visible_satellite_loop.gif)
In response to the flood disaster, the Red Cross immediately began distributing aid to victims across the Huasteca region. After assessing the situation by helicopter, the President of Mexico declared the Pánuco river basin an emergency zone and ordered
search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
missions.
Many homes sustained irreparable damage to their roofs, leaving tens of thousands homeless. The government appealed for international aid, seeking clothes, food, and medical supplies.
Five storage centers in Hidalgo provided more than 93 million lbs (42,000 tonnes) of food supplies. Throughout San Luis Potosí, 142,000 lbs (64 tonnes) of chicken, 45,000 pantries, and 76,000 disposable plates were distributed, as well as 50,440 blankets and 6,081 airbeds.
Several schools served as shelters for the homeless;
the sheltered elderly, children, and pregnant or nursing women received $27,000 worth of milk powder donations.
In the wake of Gert, the amount of respiratory disease and skin infection cases rose slightly, although the overall health situation for the country remained well under control. By two weeks after the hurricane, over 65,000 people across the region had been accommodated in shelters; most stayed there until the floods receded, although many who returned home a month later continued to rely on relief provisions. A grant of $22,000 was made available for the purchase of roofing sheets for those in urgent need of home repair. The president approved $37.4 million to commence reconstruction of roads and houses and to assist farmers throughout the region.
See also
*
List of Category 2 Atlantic hurricanes
Within the North Atlantic Ocean, a Category 2 hurricane is a tropical cyclone, that has 1-minute sustained wind speeds of between . Since records began in 1851, a total of 245 tropical cyclones have peaked at this intensity.
Background
Since HUR ...
*
List of Atlantic–Pacific crossover hurricanes
An Atlantic–Pacific crossover hurricane is a tropical cyclone that develops in the Atlantic Ocean and moves into the Pacific Ocean, or vice versa. Since reliable records began in 1851, a total of twenty crossover tropical cyclones have been ...
*
Hurricane Diana
Hurricane Diana was a deadly tropical cyclone which struck Mexico in August 1990. The fourth named storm and second hurricane of the season, Diana developed from a tropical wave in the southwestern Caribbean on August 4. Forming as a tro ...
(1990)
*
Tropical Storm Arlene (1993)
*
Tropical Storm Bret (1993)
Tropical Storm Bret was the deadliest natural disaster in Venezuela since the 1967 Caracas earthquake. The third tropical cyclone of 1993 Atlantic hurricane season, Bret formed on August 4 from a westward-moving, African tropical wave. Bret ...
Notes
References
External links
* The NHC'
Storm Wallet Archive for Hurricane Gert* The NHC'
reports on Hurricane Gertan
Tropical Depression Fourteen-E* The
WPC'
rainfall report on Hurricane Gert and Tropical Depression Fourteen-EThe 1993 Monthly Weather Review
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gert (1993)
1993 Atlantic hurricane season
Hurricane Gert
Hurricane Gert was a large tropical cyclone that caused extensive flooding and mudslides throughout Central America and Mexico in September 1993. The seventh named storm and third hurricane of the annual hurricane season, Gert originated as ...
Atlantic hurricanes in Mexico
Category 2 Atlantic hurricanes
Eastern Pacific tropical depressions
Hurricanes in Belize
Hurricanes in Costa Rica
Hurricanes in El Salvador
Hurricanes in Honduras
Hurricanes in Nicaragua
September 1993 events