Cries From a Stricken Region

The reports coming from Central America are more disheartening every day. Hurricane Mitch is long gone, but its toll is not yet counted. Officials have estimated that 7,000 people died in Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala and Belize and that thousands more are at risk for lack of clean water, dry shelter and food.

The damage done to cities, towns and villages by winds, flood waters and enormous mudslides is so extensive that no dollar amount can yet be calculated, but it is well beyond the ability of the affected nations to repair by themselves. Current estimates put the number of homeless at 600,000.

The region’s only comparable tragedies in recent memory are the 1985 earthquake, magnitude 8.1, near Michoacan, Mexico, that left 5,500 dead and $5 billion in damage and the 1972 Nicaraguan quake that killed 5,000 and destroyed the heart of Managua, the capital.

Hurricane Mitch was a powerful sign of the shift from the El Nino patterns of last year to another weather event, La Nina, according to the Geneva-based World Weather Organization. El Nino sent shearing winds across the Atlantic that tore the tops off hurricanes before they could develop further. La Nina is different. It boosts the Atlantic hurricane season, which is unfortunately far from over.

At its height, Mitch spun off 180-mph winds, making it a Category 5 event and one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded. Compare that to Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the most costly storm in U.S. history at 47 deaths and more than $30 billion in damage; it was only Category 4.

Unlike in the United States, where storm preparation and evacuation efforts have become a lifesaving science, in Central America the infrastructure is weak and the resources meager. Those nations now need a swift and generous helping hand to forestall hunger, disease and many more deaths.

The Red Cross, which accepts only monetary donations, already has a major relief operation running in Central America. Contact your local chapter to make a donation or call (800) HELPNOW.

In addition, several Central American organizations in Los Angeles have set up a special emergency fund, Fondo de Emergencia Centro Americana. Donations of canned food, blankets and clothing are being accepted at the Central American Resource Center, Carecen, 2845 W. 7th St., Los Angeles 90005. Or call El Rescate, (213) 387-3284, ext. 14.