Key Individuals, Places and Organizations:
Honduras, Nicaragua, and Central American nations. The US, UN and other
governments. Weather services.
Special Terms and Concepts:
Hurricanes, tropical storms, weather and natural calamities. Forms
of foreign aids, destruction to lives and economy, reconstruction efforts.
Time-line:
Sep 98 - Mitch formed over the Caribbean's, and intensified as
it moved across warm waters.
10/25 - 10 a.m. EST, Mitch was located about 230 miles southwest of Jamaica 's Capital city Kingston and was moving west-northwest at 7 mph.
Jamaica and Eastern Cuba issued storm alert.
10/26 - Mitch lashed Jamaica, heavy rain flooded Kingston and parts of Cayman islands. Fortunately, Jamaica and the Caymans were spared by the force winds.
10/27 - Early Morning: Storm passed almost directly over the Honduran Tiny Swan Islands, destroying a small military outpost. No one was hurt. Honduras had declared the highest state alert.
7pm EST: Mitch moved estimated 45 miles north of the Honduran Coast. Though not in the eye of the Hurricane, Honduras and neighboring Nicaragua were in the radius of a 155 mph force wind that caused massive destruction. The track of the hurricane was unpredictable and its movement was slow.
Earlier in the day, Mitch¡¯s 180 mph winds made it a Category 5 storm. The U.S. National Weather Service said it was the fourth strongest Caribbean hurricane in this century.
10/28 - Mitch began it assault on Central America, tearing up houses, bridges and communities. 10s of thousands of people fled coastal areas, deaths were reported.
Mexico: Government declared maximum alert in 3 states and sent hundreds of troops to relief. Mitch forecasted to hit Mexico or Belize in 24 hours,
10/29 - Hurricane Mitch wore itself out pounding the Honduran coast and was downgraded to a tropical storm today. But floodwaters continued to rise, cutting off communities from food, water and medicine.
With the weakening storm seemingly anchored off Honduras, officials in Mexico to the north eased emergency measures.
10/29 - Intense rescue of calamity areas. US military relief, search parties in the flooded and cut-off areas. Death toll rising.
Nov-Dec 98 - Relief and foreign aids rushed in. Worldwide fund raisers. UN World Food Program diverted its ships to rush in cargoes of donated food, pulling food from its warehouses in Rome.
11/3 - Costa Rico: official estimates of 120000 sacks reduction in 1998's
coffee production.
Honduras: estimated 2/3 loss in 1998's coffee production. 10% losses
in entire Central America.
11/4 - Death tolls in Honduras reached 5000.
11/6 - Chinese Government expressed condolences.
11/6 - Mitch, by now degraded to a tropical storm, hit Florida and caused damage, and added at least 1 to its death toll.
11/26 - Reports of outbreaks of Cholera and other diseases among victim communities of Hurricane Mitch. Homeless victims also faced starvation.
Dec 98 - (ABC News) Mitch Statistics.: 9000 known dead. 19000 missing, 3 million homeless. $4 billion damage to public infrastructure and 70% GDP loss in Honduras and Nicaragua.
Feb 99 - White House proposed to Congress a $1 billion package to help Central American nations recover from Mitch. Controversy and debates over how this aid could be financed
3/8/99 - US President Clinton's visit to 4 Central American nations, surveying the aftermath of Mitch.
5/21/99 - Clinton signed a $15 billion 'Emergency Budget' bill, inclusive
of a $956 million package of aid to Central American nations damaged by
hurricane Mitch.
A Useful Web site: Honduras' Log of Hurricane Mitch