Effects of Hurricane Mitch in Honduras
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The effects of Hurricane Mitch in
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 ...
were destructive and deadly, resulting in the most significant flooding in
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 the 20th century.
Hurricane Mitch Hurricane Mitch is the second-deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, causing over 11,000 fatalities in Central America in 1998, including approximately 7,000 in Honduras and 3,800 in Nicaragua due to cataclysmic flooding from the slow motion ...
, the strongest storm of the
1998 Atlantic hurricane season The 1998 Atlantic hurricane season was one of the most disastrous Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, featuring the highest number of storm-related fatalities in over 218 years and one of the costliest ever at the time. The season had above a ...
, formed on October 22, and after becoming a Category 5 hurricane, it weakened and struck Honduras on October 29. While near peak intensity, Mitch struck the offshore
Guanaja Guanaja is one of the Bay Islands of Honduras and is in the Caribbean. It is about off the north coast of Honduras, and from the island of Roatan. One of the cays off Guanaja, also called Guanaja or Bonacca or Low Cay (or just simply, The Ca ...
island, where it nearly destroyed the
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 ...
forest. On the mainland, the hurricane dropped torrential rainfall, and many gauges were washed away in mountainous areas where unofficial rainfall totals were as high as 1900 mm (75 in). The highest official total was at Choluteca in southern Honduras, which was more than half of the annual precipitation average there. The rains caused widespread flooding and landslides, although impact from winds was not as severe. The President of Honduras estimated that Mitch set back 50 years of economic development. The storm wrecked about 35,000 houses and damaged another 50,000, leaving up to 1.5 million people homeless, or about 20% of the country's population. Mitch directly caused $2.005 billion in damage, with an additional $1.8 billion in indirect costs. Most of the damage was ruined crops, and cash crop exports were cut by 9.4% in 1999, largely due to the storm. Over 70% of the transportation infrastructure was damaged, mostly damaged highways and bridges. Widespread areas experienced power outages, and about 70% of the country lost water after the storm. In the capital,
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 ...
, a large landslide affected three neighborhoods and formed a temporary dam. Floods in the city damaged buildings that were over 350 years old. Throughout the country, there were at least 7,000 fatalities, some reported in each
department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
. Following the storm, officials in Honduras requested international assistance, which totaled $2.8 billion over a several-year period. Despite this, the gross domestic product began
decreasing In mathematics, a monotonic function (or monotone function) is a function between ordered sets that preserves or reverses the given order. This concept first arose in calculus, and was later generalized to the more abstract setting of orde ...
at the end of 1998, and contracted by 1.9% in 1999. Officials enacted a widespread curfew following the storm, and for 15 days temporarily restricted constitutional rights to maintain order. There were outbreaks in various diseases, and many residents faced food and water shortages. Due to the heavy damage, the name Mitch was
retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
from the Atlantic hurricane naming list.


Preparations and background

Hurricane Mitch formed on October 22 in 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 ...
, and it eventually intensified into a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale by October 26. By that time, the hurricane was just north of the coast of Honduras, and was expected by 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) and various
tropical cyclone forecast model A tropical cyclone forecast model is a computer program that uses meteorological data to forecast aspects of the future state of tropical cyclones. There are three types of models: statistical, dynamical, or combined statistical-dynamic. Dyna ...
s to turn to the north. When the track was more westward than expected, the NHC recommended early on October 26 for 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 ...
to be issued for the northeastern Honduran coast, although difficulties in communications prevented their immediate implementation. Within a few hours, a hurricane warning was in place between
Limón Limón (), commonly known as Puerto Limón, is a district, the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the Limón canton in Costa Rica. It is the seventh largest city in Costa Rica, with a population of over 55,000, and is ho ...
to the Honduras and Nicaragua border, including the offshore Swan Island. When Mitch still failed to turn to the north, the government of Honduras issued a hurricane warning for the remainder of their coastline. The hurricane weakened while turning to the south, and made
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 ...
in Honduras 134 km (83 mi) east of
La Ceiba La Ceiba () is a municipality, the capital of the Honduran department of Atlántida (department), Atlántida and a port city on the northern coast of Honduras in Central America. It is located on the southern edge of the Caribbean, forming part ...
, with estimated winds of 130 km/h (80 mph). Mitch continued to weaken while moving slowly westward across the country. On October 26, the Honduran Permanent Contingency Commission coordinated with neighboring countries regarding the storm. Officials initially issued a state of emergency for the offshore islands and five coastal departments, which was later extended to the rest of the country. The government increased emergency spending and created a National Emergency Commission. Officials advised residents to evacuate in flood-prone areas, although many people stayed for fear of being looted. Some left to stay with relatives during the hurricane. Prisoners in Tegucigalpa Central Penitentiary were evacuated to the
national stadium Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadiu ...
. Before the storm struck, Honduras was facing decreased food supplies due to ongoing
El Niño El Niño (; ; ) is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific (approximately between the International Date L ...
conditions. The economy had been growing at a rate similar to the previous year until Mitch struck, and was largely dependent on exports. About 73% of the population was living in poverty when the storm struck. Hurricane Mitch set back the economies of various countries in the region, including Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador, after they had improved throughout the 1990s.


Meteorological effects

Due to weak steering currents, Hurricane Mitch moved slowly for about a week, both offshore and while moving through Honduras. Rainbands drew moisture from the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, producing high amounts of rainfall of over per day, beginning on October 26. In some areas, high mountain peaks contributed to high precipitation totals, and the highest amounts occurred in southern Honduras. The highest official total was at Choluteca, which represented more than half of the annual precipitation average; at the same location, fell in a 24-hour period on October 31, which was more than double the previous record set in 1985. At
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras The National Autonomous University of Honduras () is the national public university of Honduras. Founded in 1847, it has over 140 programs from the Bachelor's level to the Doctorate, and is the largest and highest ranked university in Honduras. ...
in the capital
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 ...
, rainfall totaled 294 mm (11.58 in). The total of on October 30 broke the record set in 1966 for the wettest day. At La Ceiba near where the storm made landfall, Mitch produced of rainfall, which is 30% of its annual rainfall; of the total, fell on October 27, which was the third highest amount there on record. There were unofficial rainfall totals in Central America as high as 1900 mm (75 in); rain gauges in mountainous areas were washed away. The high rainfall caused many rivers in the country to overflow "to an unprecedented extent this century", as described by the United Nations. The flooding caused the
Choluteca River The Choluteca River ( es, Río Grande o Choluteca) is a river in southern Honduras. Its source is in the Department of Francisco Morazán, near Lepaterique (south-west Tegucigalpa), and from there it flows north through the city of Tegucigalpa, ...
to change its course, forming an avulsion. Widespread flooding near the northern coast left behind about of sediment, which ruined forests and shrimp ponds. Flooding also affected the Pacific coast along the
Gulf of Fonseca The Gulf of Fonseca ( es, Golfo de Fonseca; ), a part of the Pacific Ocean, is a gulf in Central America, bordering El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. History Fonseca Bay was discovered for Europeans in 1522 by Gil González de Ávila, ...
, leaving behind debris and sediment. In the country's interior, particularly the southern portion, the high rainfall caused hundreds of
landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated grade (slope), slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of ...
s, many of them shallow and about 95% in the form of
debris flow Debris flows are geological phenomena in which water-laden masses of soil and fragmented rock rush down mountainsides, funnel into stream channels, entrain objects in their paths, and form thick, muddy deposits on valley floors. They generally ...
. However, two
earthflow An earthflow (earth flow) is a downslope viscous flow of fine-grained materials that have been saturated with water and moves under the pull of gravity. It is an intermediate type of mass wasting that is between downhill creep and mudflow. The ty ...
s caused significant damage near Tegucigalpa. In mainland Honduras, the winds were not as damaging as the rainfall, although offshore islands sustained heavy damage due to high winds. Offshore northern Honduras, it was estimated that Mitch produced waves as high as 13 m (44 ft).


Impact

Overall, Hurricane Mitch caused an estimated $3.8 billion in damage, of which $2.005 billion was from direct damages and the remainder from indirect costs. The overall impact represented about 70% of Honduras's annual gross domestic product (GDP).


Offshore

On October 27, the ''
S/V Fantome ''Fantome'' was a 679-ton staysail schooner owned by Windjammer Barefoot Cruises in Miami, Florida. Completed in 1927 by the Duke of Westminster, she was purchased by Windjammer in 1969, and became flagship of the fleet. During her twenty-nine ...
'', a
schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...
, last reported its location to the south of
Guanaja Guanaja is one of the Bay Islands of Honduras and is in the Caribbean. It is about off the north coast of Honduras, and from the island of Roatan. One of the cays off Guanaja, also called Guanaja or Bonacca or Low Cay (or just simply, The Ca ...
, while trying to escape the brunt of the storm. The
United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...
searched until November 4, when they observed the debris from the ship. All 31 people on board were presumed killed. On the offshore Guanaja island, waters rose about during the storm. The combination of
storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the n ...
and high winds severely damaged offshore islands. High waves eroded northern coastlines and damaged lagoons. Most of the
Bay Islands Bay Islands may refer to: * Bay Islands Department, Honduras * Southern Moreton Bay Islands, Queensland, Australia See also * Bay of Islands * Bay of Isles * Island Bay, Wellington * Little Bay Islands Little Bay Islands is a vacant town in ...
had damage to their water facilities. Two days of winds exceeding destroyed nearly all of the plants and trees on Guanaja, uprooting or knocking down almost the entire
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 ...
forest. Most mangrove trees were an average of in height before they fell. Those remaining standing were damaged internally and unable to regrow. All trees lost their leaves on the island, and 70% of
conifer Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...
trees were knocked down. Montane trees likewise experienced severe damage, although they made a recovery within a year. However, no mangrove trees had regrown there by three years after the storm struck, indicating the level of destruction. Tree damage also occurred on nearby
Roatán Roatán () is an island in the Caribbean, about off the northern coast of Honduras. It is located between the islands of Utila and Guanaja, and is the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras. The island was formerly known in English as Ruatan ...
island, although to a much lesser degree, and occurring on the eastern end. Winds there were generally less than 185 km/h (115 mph), and the tree damage was more random.


Mainland

Hurricane Mitch wrought significant damage to Honduras, affecting nearly the entire population and causing damage in all 18 departments. High winds near the coast knocked down trees, particularly in mountainous areas. The
United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, known as ECLAC, UNECLAC or in Spanish and Portuguese CEPAL, is a United Nations regional commission to encourage economic cooperation. ECLAC includes 46 member States (2 ...
estimated that Mitch caused the worst floods of the 20th century in the country. Severe flooding occurred in the northern region, which washed away more than 25 entire villages. In
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 ...
in northwestern Honduras, flooding covered several neighborhoods and the
international airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries around the world. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports and they must feature longer ...
. Near the coast, high waves destroyed hotels and houses while swollen rivers flooded nearby areas. Damage was heaviest in Colón and Atlántida departments. In the latter department, the
Cangrejal River The Cangrejal River or Río Cangrejal is a river that drains several mountain tributaries and borders the rainforest of Pico Bonito National Park near La Ceiba, Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Centra ...
left heavy damage along its path after it flooded. In Choluteca and
Valle Valle may refer to: * Valle (surname) Geography *"Valle", the cultural and climatic zone of the dry subtropical Interandean Valles of the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, and northwest Argentina *University of Valle, a public university in Cali, Colombia ...
departments in the southern portion of the country, river flooding swept away houses and affected neighborhoods. An estimated 70–80% of the transportation network was destroyed, including most bridges and secondary roads, amounting to $236 million in damage. In mountainous areas, floods carrying debris damaged roads and bridges. A total of of bridges were damaged or destroyed, and an additional of approach roads were likewise damaged. Several vehicles were washed away due to the floods. In contrast to roads, there was little railway damage. There was minor impact to the nation's airports, limited to some damage to air traffic equipment. Seaports also sustained minor damage, although many lost electronic equipment. Hurricane Mitch left widespread power outages after damaging more than of power lines and several power plants. About 11% of Honduras's telephone lines were damaged during the storm. Landslides and flooding contaminated aqueducts in several cities, including 1,600 systems in rural areas. Many cities sustained damage to their water network, and about 70% of Honduras lost access to fresh water after the storm, although many rural areas had already been experiencing water shortages. The combined damage to transportation, communication, utilities, including power and water, was estimated at $665 million. Communications were disrupted after power outages, and there were also fuel and water shortages. Flooding damaged or destroyed industrial areas of Honduras, which affected exports and domestic products. Six
maquiladora A (), or (), is a word that refers to factories that are largely duty free and tariff-free. These factories take raw materials and assemble, manufacture, or process them and export the finished product. These factories and systems are present t ...
factories were damaged in the northern portion of the country, and one was destroyed in
La Ceiba La Ceiba () is a municipality, the capital of the Honduran department of Atlántida (department), Atlántida and a port city on the northern coast of Honduras in Central America. It is located on the southern edge of the Caribbean, forming part ...
. Many businesses shut down, leaving many people unemployed who already lost their homes. Mitch also destroyed 123 health facilities nationwide and wrecked 4,835, or 23%, of the nation's classrooms. As a result, most classes that would have gone until November 30 were ended about a month early, allowing teachers to assist in helping others. High water levels along the Choluteca River affected the capital, Tegucigalpa, reaching levels above their banks. Mitch largely destroyed the center of the city, including many residential buildings along river banks. The floods damaged about one-third of buildings, including some more than 350 years old. The storm destroyed the primary water mains in Tegucigalpa and neighboring Comayagüela, and of water piping had to be repaired. In central Tegucigalpa, there was a large earthflow along Cerro El Berrinche mountain that weighed . This landslide, the largest generated by Mitch in the country, destroyed the Colonia Soto section and damaged portions of two other neighborhoods. It carried debris, trees, and rocks, forming a temporary dam along the Choluteca River laden with sewage. Because the landslide was slow-moving, officials were able to evacuate before the river was stopped due to the temporary dam. Another smaller landslide destroyed several houses in the Colonia El Reparto section of the capital, although it was also slow-moving, and the residents were able to evacuate. Other landslides destroyed over 20 houses along the rivers in the city due to erosion along river banks. Across Honduras, agriculture sustained serious damage, with initial estimates of 70% of crops destroyed. Flooding affected about 29% of the country's arable land, much of covered for an extended period of time. This washed away large areas of
topsoil Topsoil is the upper layer of soil. It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs. Description Topsoil is composed of mineral particles and organic matt ...
, which would take a long period of time to recover. About 85% of the banana crop was lost, along with the loss of 60% of melons, 60% of sugar cane, and 58% of corn. About one-third of the corn crop had already been harvested. About 50,000 
bovine Bovines (subfamily Bovinae) comprise a diverse group of 10 genera of medium to large-sized ungulates, including cattle, bison, African buffalo, water buffalos, and the four-horned and spiral-horned antelopes. The evolutionary relationship betwee ...
were killed, as were 60% of the
fowl Fowl are birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl (Galliformes) and the waterfowl (Anseriformes). Anatomical and molecular similarities suggest these two groups are close evolutionary relatives; together ...
population. Crop and agricultural damage totaled about $1 billion, which would take the country years to recover. Poor road conditions following the storm prevented crops from being dried, which caused further damage. Honduras's Social Fund for Housing estimated that 35,000 houses nationwide were destroyed with another 50,000 damaged, many of which were poorly built or in flood-prone areas. This left up to 1.5 million people homeless – about 20% of the total population – and was the highest number of victims from any natural disaster in Honduras's history. Over 30% of the populations of Choluteca, Colón, and Cortés departments were left homeless. Housing costs were estimated at $344 million, including $221 million in housing damage; the rest included the costs for shelters, removal of debris, and loss of rent.


Deaths and injuries

Overall, Hurricane Mitch killed about 7,000 people in Honduras, with 11,000 missing in the months after the storm. There were 8,000 people listed as missing about ten days after Mitch struck, although problems with record-keeping made it difficult to determine the exact total. Choluteca Department in the southern portion of the country had the most deaths, with 1,200 fatalities.
Francisco Morazán Department Francisco Morazán (), FMO is one of the departments of Honduras. It is located in the central part of the nation. The departmental capital is Tegucigalpa, which is also Honduras's national capital. Until 1943 it was known as Tegucigalpa departm ...
, which includes Tegucigalpa, had about 1,000 deaths, and
Yoro Department Yoro is one of the 18 departments into which Honduras is divided. The department contains rich agricultural lands, concentrated mainly on the valley of the Aguan River and the Sula Valley, on opposite ends. The departmental capital is Yoro. The ...
had 911 fatalities. There were deaths in every department, however. Many of the dead were buried in
mass grave A mass grave is a grave containing multiple human corpses, which may or may not be identified prior to burial. The United Nations has defined a criminal mass grave as a burial site containing three or more victims of execution, although an exact ...
s or were cremated. The storm injured 12,272 people nationwide, mostly in Choluteca and Cortés departments.


Aftermath

Then-president
Carlos Roberto Flores Carlos Roberto Flores Facussé (born 10 March 1950) is a Honduran politician and businessman who served as the President of Honduras from 1998 to 2002. A member of the Liberal Party, Flores was previously the President of the National Congre ...
estimated that Mitch reversed 50 years of progress in the country. Officials estimated it would take at least 15 years to rebuild completely. The national gross domestic product (GDP) only grew at a rate of 3% due to the storm, compared with 5.1% in 1997, due to damaged infrastructure and lingering effects. In 1999, the economy of Honduras contracted by 1.9%, largely due to the storm. The Honduran government increased spending by 24.7%,. much of it emergency funds to restore communications and provide relief, which caused economic deficits. This caused inflation to increase from 13.6% to 15.7%. The Honduran government adjusted its economic plan, including
privatization Privatization (also privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation when ...
of various federal entities. For two years, the government temporarily halted taxes to businesses affected by the hurricane. In the storm's immediate aftermath, officials enacted a widespread curfew after reports of looting and vandalism. The government temporarily restricted constitutional rights for 15 days. Officials urged residents to restrict water and fuel use, and alcohol sales were halted. The widespread flooding and the crippled infrastructure forced officials to rely on a limited number of helicopters to operate
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 and deliver supplies. A helicopter carrying four people, including Tegucigalpa mayor and potential
presidential candidate A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example: * to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs. * t ...
César Castellanos, crashed on November 1 while touring flood damage, killing everyone aboard. In some areas, residents did not receive assistance until November 12, more than two weeks after Mitch's landfall. About 285,000 people remained in 1,375 shelters, many of them schools, by three weeks after the hurricane struck. Some sports stadiums and churches were also used as makeshift shelters. Overcrowding at shelters caused various diseases. Due to the hurricane and the widespread destruction, the hurricane caused outbreaks of
malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
,
dengue Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. These may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic ...
,
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 ...
, and various fever and respiratory illnesses. Ongoing flooding caused an outbreak of
Leptospirosis Leptospirosis is a blood infection caused by the bacteria ''Leptospira''. Signs and symptoms can range from none to mild (headaches, muscle pains, and fevers) to severe ( bleeding in the lungs or meningitis). Weil's disease, the acute, severe ...
, notably in Cortés Department. There were widespread food and water shortages, leaving villagers near-starvation. Damaged crops also prevented the export of cash crops, and exports decreased by 9.4% in 1999. Many of the people left homeless also became unemployed, and there were reductions in exports and economic growth. Officials set up shelters that housed 285,000 people for about a month. In Tegucigalpa, where the Choluteca River was dammed by a landslide, a temporary lagoon filled with sewage persisted for about two months, until a crew from the
United States Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...
and
United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
dug a channel to drain the water. Even before the storm struck, the government of Honduras issued an appeal for international assistance. In the immediate aftermath, the United States provided $875,000 in aid. A portion went to purchasing and delivering food, while the majority used airplanes to participate in rescue missions and deliver supplies, such as plastic sheets and water. The United States ultimately gave $15 million in aid to Honduras through various United Nations organizations. Mexico donated food, medicine, and clothing, and Cuba sent a team of doctors and mobile hospitals. Uruguay donated a pump for the city of Choluteca to restore water there. Several European Countries sent aid to Honduras, in addition to donations from the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
. France sent medical equipment, and the government of Japan provided a
field hospital A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile A ...
that helped 300 patients per day in the center of Tegucigalpa. Following the storm, 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 ...
sent a team to Honduras and El Salvador to determine the needs of the population. The Honduran government requested the team to assess the socio-economic impact of the storm. 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 ...
provided $17 million worth of food to the country. The
Pan American Health Organization The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is an international public health agency working to improve the health and living standards of the people of the Americas. It is part of the United Nations system, serving as the Regional Office for ...
focused on restoring water systems by providing latrines, while
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 ...
sent large water tanks. The
Inter-American Development Bank The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB or IADB) is an international financial institution headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States of America, and serving as the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribb ...
approved $197.4 million in loans in 1998, most of which due to Hurricane Mitch. The loans were to assist in rebuilding damaged infrastructure, including for water systems, transportation, and houses. Various countries provided nearly $2.8 billion to the country in aid, which limited the annual debt following the hurricane's damage. The foreign aid due to the storm largely ended by 2003. Overall cost for reconstruction was estimated at $2.5 billion, which was estimated to take four years. The cost for repairing the damaged houses was estimated at $484.8 million. Following the storm, workers made emergency repairs to the destroyed bridges and roads. The cost for rebuilding roads was higher than their damage cost due to planning for future flooding. Within a month, there were repairs to the power grid to a level of 550  MW, or 91.7% of what it was before Mitch struck. Water companies restored water to 60% of Tegucigalpa within a month of the storm striking. The Honduras delegation to the
World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics. The WMO originated from the Internati ...
requested the name "Mitch" be
retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
, following the hurricane. The 25 member committee voted in support to replace the name with "Matthew", which was first
used Used may refer to: Common meanings *Used good, goods of any type that have been used before or pre-owned *Used to, English auxiliary verb Places *Used, Huesca, a village in Huesca, Aragon, Spain *Used, Zaragoza, a town in Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain ...
in 2004. That name was later retired following its usage in 2016 due to the devastation it caused in Haiti in early October of that year, and was subsequently replaced by "Martin".


Refugee crisis

Millions of Hondurans were left homeless as a result of Mitch, and the most substantial reconstruction efforts took place in Honduras and neighboring
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 ...
. Hundreds of refugee centers each holding thousands of displaced Hondurans were set up in cities. However, many of these centers were ineffective at providing food and resources. Part of this was due to confusion between the government, churches, and local commerce groups over how supplies were to be allocated and distributed. There were significant resources intended for refugees, but authorities often hoarded it in heavily-guarded warehouses. The entire hurricane and subsequent refugee crisis did bring to light the problems Hondurans faced relating to contagious diseases, and the country received considerable medical attention in the aftermath of Mitch.


Rural regions

While those in cities had at least some form of access to relief supplies, Honduras’ rural population, which makes up most of the country, was almost completely annihilated. The damage caused by winds and flooding combined with most of those affected living in poverty meant most, if not all, buildings were destroyed, roads were wiped out, and communication systems collapsed. Because of the region's low human development and a high poverty rate of about 75 percent, rural areas received very little aid compared to those in more urban areas. The urban areas were able to rebuild much faster while the rest of the country languished. In these regions, the effects of Mitch are still very prevalent in the modern day. Thousands lack clean water and shelter, little infrastructure has been rebuilt, and diseases are widespread due to the lack of proper hygiene facilities. Today, the Honduran government provides very little in terms of support, with most of the international community doing the same. However, some humanitarian aid groups continue to visit Honduras to help those still affected by constructing new homes, hospitals, and orphanages, installing water filtration systems and latrines, and providing medical and dental care. Mitch caused substantial damage to the nation's agricultural industry, particularly in areas inhabited by
mestizo (; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed Ethnic groups in Europe, European and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also r ...
s and indigenous groups. Bananas, plantains, and
manioc ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated a ...
, all of which are historically important export crops for Honduras, were all essentially destroyed, as were about 80% of rice farms. The destruction of crops also led to malnourishment and starvation for Hondurans, worsening the already existing problems related to disease.


Indigenous Groups

Despite the catastrophic losses, Mitch may have actually benefited some rural populations because it forced a change in how groups use their land. A research study conducted between 1994 and 2002 (Mitch occurred in 1998) analyzed land use among rural indigenous populations before and after Mitch. Traditionally, experts believed that poor rural populations, who are almost entirely dependent on the resources of the land they live on, need major assistance to survive catastrophic natural disasters. However, some speculated that these populations can use a disaster such as Hurricane Mitch as a window of opportunity to actually make systematic improvements to their environment. Researchers studied land occupied by the Tawahka, an indigenous group in northeastern Honduras that was impacted just as much as other non-indigenous communities. This community lies on the Patuca River where rice, manioc, cacao, and various fruits were farmed. When Mitch struck, all of the crops grown by the Tawahka were ruined as households who owned the least amount of land were hit the hardest. Additionally, the study outlined three factors that made the Tawahka settlement particularly vulnerable to Mitch: * Market specialization-cacao crops were the community’s most successful, but they were all concentrated on a particular piece of land along the Patuca River susceptible to flooding. * Land concentration-the land and wealth was primarily controlled by a select few households, meaning those with less land were almost certainly guaranteed to lose all they had. * Forest conservation-The Honduran government pressured the Tawahka to give up some of their lands, which in turn forced the Tawahka to rely on more cacao. At the conclusion of the study in 2002, the researchers found that the Tawahka were actually in a much better place than they were before Mitch hit. Institutional changes had been made to improve farming efficiency and individual well-being, as well as how the community would react to future natural disasters. Land became more equitably distributed among all members of the community. Nearby forests were cleared, allowing for more agricultural space to grow a wider variety of crops. Income for households dropped slightly, but was now more diversified than before. Ultimately, these changes proved effective in 2008 when severe storms caused flooding similar to Mitch, the negative impacts to farming and infrastructure were practically nothing compared to a decade earlier.


See also

*
Hurricane Fifi 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 ...
– deadly hurricane in Honduras in 1974 that killed thousands * *


Notes


References

{{Reflist, 2
Mitch Mitch is a short form of the masculine given name Mitchell. It is also sometimes a nickname, usually for a person with the surname Mitchell. It may refer to: People * Mitch Altman (born 1956), hacker and inventor * Mitch Apau (born 1990), Dutch ...
Mitch Effects
Hurricane Mitch Hurricane Mitch is the second-deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, causing over 11,000 fatalities in Central America in 1998, including approximately 7,000 in Honduras and 3,800 in Nicaragua due to cataclysmic flooding from the slow motion ...
Mitch Mitch is a short form of the masculine given name Mitchell. It is also sometimes a nickname, usually for a person with the surname Mitchell. It may refer to: People * Mitch Altman (born 1956), hacker and inventor * Mitch Apau (born 1990), Dutch ...