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In October 1998 Hurricane Mitch resulted in the deaths of over 10,000 people in Central America. It was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane in 200 years.
3. Hurricane damage
Three features of the hurricane cause immense damage:- Winds
- Storm surge
- Flooding
The circulating winds in a hurricane pushes a wall of water ahead of it - this wall can be over forty feet tall. When this storm surge reaches the shore the sea effectively moves inland. If the land is fairly flat the sea can extend for miles inland and the turbulent water destroys nearly everything in its path. When the hurricane passes this water rushes back to the ocean dragging debris with it.
The rainfall amounts generated in a hurricane are staggering. In parts of Honduras hurricane Mitch produced 25 inches of rain in one day (the annual rainfall at Dublin airport is 30 inches). When rain falls with such intensity the ground becomes saturated, rivers flood and landslides occur.
4. Hurricane Names
Hurricanes are the only storms that are regularly named to allow easy identification. This gives the impression that they are living, malevolent, creatures - of course, they are not! Originally only women names were given but now male and female names are used. Names are announced years in advance and will be re-used. However, the names of famous storms are 'retired'.| Beryl | Chris | Debby | Ernesto |
| Florence | Gordon | Helene | Issac |
| Joyce | Keith | Leslie | Michael |
| Nadine | Oscar | Patty | Rafael |
| Sandy | Tony | Valerie | William |
