Friday, January 30, 2009
Honduras and Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch was one of the deadliest and most powerful hurricanes on record in the Atlantic basin, with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph. Due to its slow motion from October 29 to November 3, 1998, Hurricane Mitch dropped historic amounts of rainfall in Honduras with unofficial reports of up to 75 inches. Deaths due to catastrophic flooding made it the second deadliest Atlantic hurricane in history. In Honduras alone, nearly 6,500 people were killed, with several thousand still missing by the end of 1998. Many of the unidentified were buried in mass graves, resulting in a great uncertainty over the final death toll. Over 20% of the country's population, possibly as many as 1.5 million people, were left homeless.
Mitch caused such massive and widespread damage that Honduran president, Carlos Roberto Flores, claimed it destroyed fifty years of progress in the country. An estimated 70–80% of the entire country’s transportation infrastructure of the entire country was wiped out, including nearly all bridges and secondary roads; the damage was so great that existing maps were rendered obsolete.
Across the country, the storm destroyed 33,000 houses and damaged 50,000 others. About 25 small villages were reported to have been entirely destroyed by landslides. The storm caused an estimated $6.5 billion (US dollars 2008) in damage.
The Church of the Messiah began our work in Honduras shortly after Hurricane Mitch. A small team was sent to investigate how we could help. Contacts were made throughout the country, with long-term relationships established with His Love in Action School for the Deaf and Casa Corazon Home for Children.
The Church of the Messiah continues to send ministry teams to Honduras each year.
Mitch caused such massive and widespread damage that Honduran president, Carlos Roberto Flores, claimed it destroyed fifty years of progress in the country. An estimated 70–80% of the entire country’s transportation infrastructure of the entire country was wiped out, including nearly all bridges and secondary roads; the damage was so great that existing maps were rendered obsolete.
Across the country, the storm destroyed 33,000 houses and damaged 50,000 others. About 25 small villages were reported to have been entirely destroyed by landslides. The storm caused an estimated $6.5 billion (US dollars 2008) in damage.
The Church of the Messiah began our work in Honduras shortly after Hurricane Mitch. A small team was sent to investigate how we could help. Contacts were made throughout the country, with long-term relationships established with His Love in Action School for the Deaf and Casa Corazon Home for Children.
The Church of the Messiah continues to send ministry teams to Honduras each year.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
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