Hurricane Mitch Brings Unusually Severe and Unusually Late Damage to Honduras

Back to Map Page July, 1998 Is Late Hurricane Season Linked to Global Warming? The aftermath of hurricane Mitch, which devastated Honduras and neighboring countries for a week in November 1998, has left many wondering if this fall's extreme hurricane season is just random bad luck or if it is the latest evidence of global warming. Hurricane Mitch, well documented in the international media because of its duration and severity, dumped as much as 75 inches of rain in a week, producing flooded rivers and mudslides that may have killed 7,000 people. The effects of this hurricane were especially severe because, unlike most hurricanes which move gradually across the ocean and die out on reaching land, Mitch sat nearly stationary over Honduras for a week. This duration exacerbated the damage from the extreme wind and rainfall.   Hurricane Mitch over Honduras, where it sat stationary for a week in early November.  (Image source: NOAA)   Many of the deaths resulted from flooding and mudslides in villages too remote to receive what emergency aid was available. Washed out roads made many areas inaccessible for days or weeks after the hurricane passed. In addition to deaths and injuries, at least 2 million people lost their homes and farms. Economic disaster followed as well, as export crops that form the core of Honduras' economy, principally bananas, coffee, and melons--were decimated. Some 70% of crops may have been destroyed. Perhaps the most unusual factor about Mitch, though, was its timing in November. Typically the Atlantic hurricane season starts in August and wanes by October. Hurricanes develop from warm, moist air that rises over the tropical oceans (something like rising air over a pot of hot water on a stove). Because they depend on warm air and water temperatures, hurricanes typically occur only in late summer, with decreasing frequency as the oceans cool in the fall. With Mitch and 13 other major storms and hurricanes, the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season was one of the most active recorded in this century. Although all types of storms vary in frequency and severity, the lateness and strength of Mitch and several other 1998 hurricanes have left climatologists speculating that global warming may have caused the unusually late warm oceans. Many scientists also attribute the extreme El Nino conditions earlier in 1998--warm winter in the central US, heavy rains in California, extreme drought in Indonesia, and other anomalies to climate warming. A central prediction of global warming theories is that temperatures will not rise evenly and steadily everywhere, but that they will rise irregularly in different regions, causing increased storms and drought. It is impossible to have complete certainty in associating storms like Mitch with larger patterns of climate change. The climate, and weather conditions, always vary from year to year and from decade to decade. Still, many climatologists are pointing out that these events did occur during the warmest year ever recorded. These events, they argue, add urgency to the need to control greenhouse gas emissions, which could well be contributing to deaths and damage from the unusual storms and droughts seen last year. For related news, see the Buenos Aires Climate Conference essay on this web site. For further information, see these related web sites:  BBC News report on Hurricane Mitch Mitch, other 1998 weather events, and El Nino: a report from the Weather Channel Hurricane news from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Full coverage of Hurricane Mitch from Yahoo.com To read more, see Environmental Science, A Global Concern, Cunningham and Saigo, 5th ed. El Nino and associated weather anomalies: page 374 Climate change: pages 375-380 Environmental Science, Enger and Smith, 6th ed. Global warming and greenhouse gases: page 360 Back to Map Page feedback form | permissions | international | locate your campus rep | request a review copy digital solutions | publish with us | customer service | mhhe home Copyright ©2001 The McGraw-Hill Companies. Any use is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. McGraw-Hill Higher Education is one of the many fine businesses of the The McGraw-Hill Companies.