Abstract:
Hurricane Mitch in 1998 was the storm of the centuryâ in Central America, and the human, social, and economic losses were staggering in the four main countries affected: Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. The hurricane was classified as Category 5, the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale, meaning that it had gale force winds of up to 285 km/hour. It brought historic amounts of rainfall, with unofficial reports of up to 75 inches (1900 mm).
The most marginalized members of society, including small producers, street children, and female-headed households were among the ranks of the poor hardest hit by Mitch. Following the passage of Mitch, disease outbreaks due to lack of sanitation occurred throughout Central America, including cholera, leptospirosis, malaria and dengue fever. The severe crop shortages left many villages on the brink of starvation.