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Rainfall characteristics of hurricane Mitch

Author

Listed:
  • Jon Hellin

    (Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich)

  • Martin Haigh

    (Oxford Brookes University)

  • Frank Marks

    (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory)

Abstract

The hurricane or tropical storm known as Mitch struck Central America towards the end of October 1998. The subsequent flooding and landslides claimed approximately 11,000 lives. It was the most deadly hurricane to strike the Western Hemisphere in two centuries. We have measured rainfall totals during Mitch (from 1 to 48 hours) and find that they were not exceptional for hurricanes and tropical storms in the Atlantic basin. Rainfall totals and intensities measured over intervals of 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 and 60 minutes were less than values from the updated maximum potential rainfall curve1,2. The data suggest that extraneous factors, such as already saturated soils and denuded hillsides, were largely responsible for the damage caused.

Suggested Citation

  • Jon Hellin & Martin Haigh & Frank Marks, 1999. "Rainfall characteristics of hurricane Mitch," Nature, Nature, vol. 399(6734), pages 316-316, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:399:y:1999:i:6734:d:10.1038_20577
    DOI: 10.1038/20577
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    Cited by:

    1. Fitch-Fleischmann, Benjamin & Kresch, Evan Plous, 2021. "Story of the hurricane: Government, NGOs, and the difference in disaster relief targeting," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    2. Adolfo Quesada-Román & Lidia Torres-Bernhard & Karla Hernández & Natalia Martínez-Rojas, 2024. "Historical trends and future implications of disasters in Honduras," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 120(13), pages 12313-12339, October.
    3. Michael Friedel, 2008. "Regularized joint inverse estimation of extreme rainfall amounts in ungauged coastal basins of El Salvador," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 46(1), pages 15-34, July.
    4. Ari Posner & Konstantine Georgakakos, 2015. "Normalized Landslide Index Method for susceptibility map development in El Salvador," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 79(3), pages 1825-1845, December.

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