Throughout the 20th century there have been many natural disasters. Hurricane Mitch has ranked one of the most atrocious hurricanes in that time period. Many factors took part in making this into more than just a storm. Between the intense wind pressures, and the location Hurricane Mitch was the second most deadly hurricane in the Atlantic. .
At one time Honduras and Nicaragua were very peaceful places to live. Although they were not as economically privileged as other countries, they managed with what they had. However on the morning of October 22nd something so dramatic happened, that it changed their lives forever. The satellite images of clustered storms grew closer as the rain ferociously hit the ground. Within 34 hours, the storms central pressure had dropped to a gargantuan 1.77 inches, eventually declining to 26.73 inches. These statistics tied Hurricane Mitch in fourth place with Hurricane Camille for the fourth lowest central pressure ever recorded in an Atlantic Hurricane according to chart B. On the eastern coast of Honduras the hurricane produced waves 40 - 50 feet high. As Mitch made its way through the mountains of Honduras water surged down the slopes creating excessive flooding. Not only was the excessive amount of rainfall and winds a problem but now the water was amalgamating with the dirt creating mudslides. "In Northeastern Nicaragua a mudslide traveled 13 miles down the slope of the Casitas Volcano, burying 10 communities.".
There were many contributing factors to the potency of Hurricane Mitch. The most significant cause was the warm ocean water. Since the sun beamed down on the ocean, the water was rapidly evaporated, accommodating an infinite hoard of water vapor. " A second ingredient was a pre-existing surface disturbance that lifted this warm, moistened air, and, as the water vapor cooled and condensed, the energy captured from the sun was made available to the developing storm .