Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch Devastates Latin America
Contaminated Drinking Water Presents Critical Public Health Challenge
Adapted from: https://waterandhealth.org/newsletter/new/winter-1999/hurricanemitch.html
Hurricane Mitch approached Honduras, Nicaragua and the other nations of Central America in late October 1998. The storm carried winds blowing at 180 miles per hour and gusts estimated at more than 200 miles per hour. When the storm reached these nations, it stalled for 72 hours, dumping torrential and constant rains. The widespread flooding and mudslides wiped out entire villages.
Hundreds of thousands of people were killed, injured, reported missing or left homeless by the wrath of Mitch. As of late December 1998, over 9,000 Central Americans had died as a direct result of the hurricane. Another 9,200 were missing, and 13,000 were injured. Homelessness was rampant. In Honduras alone, officials estimated that 20% of the population was displaced. In total, an estimated $5.4 billion worth of damage was done.
Contaminated Water runs through Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Throughout Central America disease broke out in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch. The destruction of drinking water supplies represented the most serious health risk facing the population at large. Many water filtration plants and water transport systems were destroyed by the storm. As a result, most people were forced to obtain their drinking water from unpurified sources such as muddy rivers and streams. Medical practitioners were concerned that diseases such as cholera, dengue fever, leptospirosis, acute diarrhea and malaria could become epidemics.
Within six weeks, cholera figures began to rise sharply and dengue was on the increase throughout Central America. Over 4,800 cases of cholera and 4000 cases of dengue were confirmed or suspected. In Nicaragua, leptospirosis was also a concern. Prevention efforts were made but even two months after the height of the storm, tens of thousands of people were still without water, sanitation, power or other municipal services.
Thousands of residents continued to work in sewage-filled fields. There were many reports of people rinsing themselves, their clothes and their dishes in contaminated streams. Few residents were aware of the dangers of contaminated water, and even if they were, what could they do?
Honduras Water Purification Project
Adapted from: http://www.arlingtonrotary.com/sitepage/honduras-water-purification-project
The Rotary Club of Arlington has been actively helping the people of Gracias a Dios, and many other areas in Honduras. The clean water initiatives implemented by the club have dramatically reduced the incidence of dysentery and other types of disease that are especially dangerous with children under the age of six.
Gracias a Dios is the easternmost and most remote area of Honduras. In Gracias a Dios, all the villages take their drinking water straight from the rivers that are contaminated primarily from animal and human waste. The villagers say that rate of illness, primarily diarrhea, is at least 30% among the children.
The Rotary Club began installing biosand filters in five villages in 2007. These filters, invented by a Rotarian from New Hampshire are capable of filtering water straight from the contaminated river and providing safer drinking water indefinitely with routine minor maintenance. During our last two trips Rotarians drank biosand filtered water for the last five days of our trip with no problems.