HURRICANE MITCH: CANADA'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Contents
Canada's international reputation as a good neighbour and
peacekeeper was enhanced by its recent role in providing aid
and assistance to countries ravaged by Hurricane Mitch. In
acquitting itself admirably, our new Canadian Forces
Emergency Response Team is a model for international cooperation and humanitarian relief. It is also an important case
study of logistical operations and effective disaster
management. (Start : 44:11; Length:14:04)
Contents
Introduction
The Storm of the Century
Aid, Expertise, and the International Community
Awesome Power
The Impact on Crops and Agriculture
A Canadian Observer
Canada Provides Aid
DART
The Anatomy of a Hurricane
Capricious Mother Nature
Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions
.
Comprehensive News in Review Study Modules
Using both the print and non-print material from various issues of News in Review, teachers and
students can create comprehensive, thematic modules that are excellent for research purposes,
independent assignments, and small group study. We recommend the stories indicated below for
the universal issues they represent and for the archival and historic material they contain.
"Canada's Recession," March 1991
"Farmers Revolt," November 1991
"Hard Times, Disappearing Jobs," February 1992
"Canada Now: A Diverse Landscape (Urban and Rural Ways of Life)," 1992
"Jobs for the 90s: Training for the Future?" April 1994
"The Changing World Economy," October 1998
Other Related Videos Available from CBC Learning
Does Your Resource Collection Include These CBC Videos?
Field of Genes
NAFTA on Trial
Revolution Down on the Farm
Free Trade 10 Years Later
The Lost Frontier
Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers.
HURRICANE MITCH: CANADA'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE
.Introduction
When Lieutenant-Colonel Wayne Douglas, a career artillery
officer with the Canadian Armed Forces, and the man appointed
head of Canada's new military Disaster Assistance Response
Team (DART), was told he'd be shipping out to Honduras in the
wake of Hurricane Mitch, he was eager to get underway. When
he arrived with his 180-person team in Tegucigalpa, the capital
city of Honduras, in early November 1998, the city was a
disaster zone. Rivers had just begun to recede after overflowing
their banks, bridges were down, and a terrible odour from
bodies of people and animals decomposing in the mud hung
over the city. Throughout the country there was extensive
damage. The transportation infrastructure was gone, and crops
had been wiped out. And this was just in one country. Damage
had also been caused in Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El
Salvador.
Douglas's mission would be the first full-scale deployment of
DART since its inception nearly two years ago. The mission was
considered to be a test case of how Canada's military could
provide emergency help in the future, not only abroad but at
home. And it was hoped that a successful performance by this
specialized team would help to erase some of the bitter
memories surrounding incidents relating to members of the
Canadian Forces in recent years: namely, the flawed
peacekeeping mission in Somalia, and hazing incidents among
the now disbanded Canadian Airborne Regiment.
Hurricane Mitch, however, would turn out to be a formidable
opponent. The worst Atlantic hurricane since 1780, Mitch was
responsible for an estimated 9000 deaths, 15 000 missing
people, and 2 million homeless. In Honduras, a country the size
of Nova Scotia and whose infrastructure was virtually wiped out
by the hurricane, over 80 per cent of the crops were destroyed,
and valuable topsoil was washed away by the flooding, which
will mean that planting new crops will be incredibly difficult.
Roads and bridges were washed away, and only one airstrip
remained functional. Schools were destroyed, and textbooks
and educational materials were literally swept away, putting the
school year on hold indefinitely. The people were left with no
clean water, no sanitation system, and little food. Doctors and
nurses could not cope with the extent of the disaster, and
disease began to spread. As if that was not enough, hundreds
of thousands of land mines planted during the civil war in
Nicaragua in the 1980s were exposed and washed away by the
flooding, putting the population at even greater risk.
Amid all the destruction, however, there was hope. The world
rallied to the support of the people in the affected regions.
Billions of dollars worth of food, medicine, and other supplies
was sent to the area. Community agencies also collected cash
to be sent to the region to be put to whatever use was deemed
most urgent. Doctors, nurses, engineers, and other civilian
volunteers flew to the area to help in whatever way they could.
Houses were rebuilt, roads and bridges repaired, mud was
shovelled off roads and out of buildings, food was packaged and
delivered, clothing was distributed, medicine was administered,
and water supplies were restored. Despite the enormous losses
and destruction, international humanitarian assistance, in
particular on the part of the Canadian military, was immediate
and effective.
.
Introduction
The Storm of the Century
Aid, Expertise, and the International Community
Awesome Power
The Impact on Crops and Agriculture
A Canadian Observer
Canada Provides Aid
DART
The Anatomy of a Hurricane
Capricious Mother Nature
Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions
Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers.
HURRICANE MITCH: CANADA'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE
.The Storm of the Century
Hurricane Mitch is the worst hurricane to hit the Atlantic region
since 1780. Although the official death toll may never be known,
it is estimated that over 9000 people were killed across Central
America, 15 000 people are missing, and over 2 million have
been left homeless. Although the numbers themselves are
staggering, it is difficult to understand the scope of this disaster
without seeing it with our own eyes.
Viewing The Destruction
Make a heading in your notebook entitled Images of
Destruction. As you view this News in Review story for the first
time, try to capture visual images you see that you find
particularly representative of the effect of this natural disaster.
Imaginative Identification
After discussing your notes with a classmate, put yourself in the
position of a survivor of the storm and write a letter describing
the destruction that has hit your country.
Assessing the Damage
After the world had a chance to digest the extent of the
destruction caused by Hurricane Mitch, energy was focused on
helping the people of Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El
Salvador rebuild. Before aid could be channelled effectively,
though, the extent of the damage needed to be carefully
assessed. To help you comprehend the immensity of the
damage, watch this story a second time and make notes in
chart form in which you gather essential information from the
video, listing it under the headings Immediate Needs and Longterm Needs.
Estimating the Relief Work
Working with a classmate, compile the statistical information
that each of you has gathered in the preceding task. Reread
your points and group the immediate and long-term needs
together into specific categories and suggest how local people
working in concert with international agencies could begin to
meet these needs. Consider especially the following and
whether they require immediate or long-term solutions:
the availability and training of medical personnel
treating acute diarrhea and other diseases that
result from this disaster
providing clean water
repairing bridges, roads, and other
communications systems
the availability and training of engineers or extra
work crews
the availability of specialized and extra equipment
.
Contents
Introduction
The Storm of the Century
Aid, Expertise, and the International Community
Awesome Power
The Impact on Crops and Agriculture
A Canadian Observer
Canada Provides Aid
DART
The Anatomy of a Hurricane
Capricious Mother Nature
Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions
Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers.
HURRICANE MITCH: CANADA'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Aid, Expertise, and the International Community
After the damage had been assessed following the hurricane,
individual countries outside Central America decided how they
could best provide aid. Canada was in the unique position of
being able to deploy a Disaster Assistance Response Team
(DART), a special division of the Canadian Forces. Using
information provided in the video, focus on DART and its unique
role in this crisis. Use the following questions to help you
examine this important agency.
1. Why was DART created?
2. What different units comprise the DART team?
3. How is DART different from other types of assistance that
could be provided?
4. What types of activities were the DART members involved
with?
5. What dangers existed for the members of the DART team?
Other Sources of Aid
In addition to the aid provided by the Disaster Assistance
Response Team, a large number of international agencies came
to the relief of the people in Central America. Contact one of the
agencies listed below and prepare a short report on its role in
general and its specific role during the Hurricane Mitch crisis.
How has each made a contribution to the people in the affected
areas?
The Canadian Red Cross Society
International Services Department
1430 Blair Place, 3rd floor
Gloucester, ON, K1J 9N2
Telephone: (613) 740-1900
Fax.: (613) 740-1911
CARE Canada
6 Antares Drive, Unit 300, Phase 3
Ottawa, ON, K1G 4X6
Telephone: (800) 267-5232
Fax: (613) 226-5777
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.care.ca
Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA)
200 Promenade du Portage
Hull, QC, KIA OG4
Telephone: (819) 997-5006
Fax: (819) 953-6088
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://w3.acdi-cida.gc.ca
OXFAM-Canada
300-294 Albert Street
Ottawa, ON, K1P 6E6
Telephone: (613) 237-5236
Fax: (613) 237-0524
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.oxfam.ca
World Vision Canada
6630 Turner Valley Road
Mississauga, ON, L5N 2S4
Telephone: (905) 821-3030
Fax: (905) 821-9794
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.worldvision.ca
Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace
(CCODP)
5633 Sherbrooke St. East
Montreal, QC, H1N 1A3
Telephone: (514) 257-8710 ext. 318
or (514) 257-8711
Web site: www.devp.org
.
Contents
Introduction
The Storm of the Century
Aid, Expertise, and the International Community
Awesome Power
The Impact on Crops and Agriculture
A Canadian Observer
Canada Provides Aid
DART
The Anatomy of a Hurricane
Capricious Mother Nature
Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions
Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers.
HURRICANE MITCH: CANADA'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Awesome Power
The word awesome is used colloquially quite a bit today. It can
mean everything from "impressive and majestic" to "appalling
and dreadful." The word awe suggests a sense of amazement,
astonishment, and even respect. The forces of nature are
certainly awesome and are forces to be respected and
understood.
Hurricane Mitch grew to become the fourth strongest hurricane
ever in the Atlantic basin. It was the strongest storm in the
western Caribbean since Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. The
immediate loss of life in the region was tragic, but it is only one
part of the tragedy. Damage to the affected areas themselves is
so severe it may well take 10 years or more for the hardest hit
areas to recover from the storm. As you read the information
below, think about what it will cost in money and personnel for
Central America to rebuild from the effects of Mitch.
Water and Sanitation
The United Nations reports that the destruction of water supply
and waste disposal systems in the area ravaged by Mitch
continues to represent the most serious health risks for the
population at large. Some progress has been made in restoring
running water in a limited number of urban centres. By
December 1998, in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, 60 per
cent of the population had access to running water, but most
outlying areas had not had these services restored.
Disease
The lack of clean water and proper sanitation resulted in the
spread of a number of disaster-related diseases. The most
common illnesses being reported in January continued to be
acute diarrhea, skin diseases, acute respiratory infections, and
conjunctivitis (an eye infection). At Tegucigalpa's main hospital,
Hospital Escuela, cases of diarrhea and intestinal problems
have risen from about three a week to more than 50.
In Nicaragua, officials are investigating 264 possible cases of
leptospirosis, a disease that leads to liver and kidney failure.
Cases of the disease, caused by a rare bacterium in rat urine,
also have appeared in small numbers in Honduras and
Guatemala, but officials say the increase could be a result of a
program that recently taught local doctors to detect it. By
December there had been four confirmed deaths from the
disease. According to the Pan American Health Organization, at
least 560 cases of choleraan intestinal illness that can cause
death by severe dehydrationhave been confirmed in the hardesthit areas of Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, and
Guatemala. In Chimaltenango, Guatemala, doctors saw 37
cholera cases in a single daymore than the total number of
cases for the two weeks before the disaster. At least 21 people
have died from the disease, which is contracted mainly through
contaminated food. Guatemala and Nicaragua account for 95
per cent of the cases.
Health workers have also reported 1086 cases of mosquitoborne dengueabout 400 more than the number reported during
the same period last year. Honduras accounts for all but six of
those cases of the disease, which causes fever, joint pains,
chills and, in serious cases, hemorrhaging or death.
In January, officials stated that prevention measures against
dengue, malaria, acute diarrhea, and respiratory diseases
needed to be strengthened. The Pan American Health
Organization was calling for stronger measures to improve
hygiene and control rodents and mosquitos, particularly in
shelters. The Taiwanese and German governments, the World
Bank, and the Pan American Health Organization have donated
$2-million to spray Honduras's highest risk areas with
insecticide.
The Disruption of the Education System
The reopening of primary schools in February 1999 is not likely
because thousands of classrooms were destroyed in the
flooding and mud slides. As well, schools that were not
destroyed are occupied by displaced people as temporary
shelters until their homes can be rebuilt. Materials have been
provided by relief agencies to rebuild the damaged schools and
community centres, but most essential education materials and
textbooks were also lost in the floods. The Ministry of Education
in Honduras has launched a 100-day Emergency Plan because
the entire educational system in the country will need to be
transformed.
Land Mines
Another threat facing the Nicaraguan and Honduran people is
the resurfacing of land mines planted by Nicaragua's Sandinista
government and American-backed rebels during the country's
1980s civil war. Handicap International, the group spearheading
a global campaign against antipersonnel mines, estimates that
over 150 000 land mines were planted in Nicaragua during the
civil war. Honduran officials estimate that 30 000 mines were
planted in its territory by the Contras, of which only about 2100
have been deactivated. The flooding and erosion caused by
Mitch has unearthed tens of thousands of these explosives, and
has carried thousands of others away to unknown places. Land
mines have been seen floating along the Rio Coco, which
divides the eastern regions of Honduras and Nicaragua.
Damage to the Infrastructure
Using small tools, workers continued clean-up activities
throughout the affected countries in January 1999 with the
assistance of secondary school studentswhose schools were
destroyedand community groups. The lack of resources for
heavy equipment was still preventing the recuperation of large
parts of urban centres. All the major roads had been reopened
after hasty repairs and the building of some temporary bridges,
but the destroyed secondary and tertiary roads and bridges
meant that a large number of communities were still isolated.
This was seriously hampering the distribution of food and other
relief items.
.
Contents
Introduction
The Storm of the Century
Aid, Expertise, and the International Community
Awesome Power
The Impact on Crops and Agriculture
A Canadian Observer
Canada Provides Aid
DART
The Anatomy of a Hurricane
Capricious Mother Nature
Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions
Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers.
HURRICANE MITCH: CANADA'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE
The Impact on Crops and Agriculture
It is in the agricultural sector that the greatest long-term effects
may be felt. As you read the following information, think about
the agricultural industries that may exist where you live. How
might severe weather affect the lives and jobs of people in your
area? What would be the effect on the consumer? What
historical weather events has Canada seen that have had a
direct impact on agriculture?
A number of the countries in Central America that were affected
by Hurricane Mitch have a single crop or a limited number of
crops on which much of their economies are based. In
Honduras, for example, bananas, most of which are exported to
northern countries, are a staple crop. After the hurricane, most
of them were left to rot in the flooded fields. Children who had
very little else to eat and who were able to salvage a few
undamaged bananas tried to sell them for twice their going
value to their equally poor neighbours. It is estimated that 70 per
cent of Honduras' economic output has been lost and that the
country's development efforts have been put back at least 30
years. Ninety per cent of banana production was affected. The
Chiquita Brands International banana company has said it
expects little or no banana production from the storm-damaged
region in 1999.
Coffee plantations are another staple industry of the Honduran
economy as well as of other Central American countries. About
70 per cent of the infrastructure on which the coffee growing
and export business is based was damaged or destroyed. In
Costa Rica, where coffee plays an important role in the
economy, 112 000 130-pound bags of its 1998-99 coffee crop
were lost to the storm, according to the Costa Rican Coffee
Institute. The Guatemalan Coffee Association reported that in
that country, another coffee-producing nation, up to 25 per cent
of the harvest was lost. It must be remembered too that in a
nation like Guatemala where the principal crop is coffee, roads
are built and maintained to service that industry. Because the
system of roads was severely damaged by Mitch, the impact on
the economy and the general public was compounded. Central
American countries account for nearly 8 per cent of world coffee
supplies. Their high-quality arabica coffees are preferred by
consumers in North America, but because of the damage to
roads and bridges, shipping coffee to these major markets has
been drastically reduced. As a result, the price of coffee futures
has soared on North American commodities markets, as have
sugar futures, another principal crop from the devastated sugar
cane fields Guatemala.
In the Central American countries that were affected by Mitch,
most of them developing nations, the destruction of their
agricultural base was a particularly cruel blow.
.
Contents
Introduction
The Storm of the Century
Aid, Expertise, and the International Community
Awesome Power
The Impact on Crops and Agriculture
A Canadian Observer
Canada Provides Aid
DART
The Anatomy of a Hurricane
Capricious Mother Nature
Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions
Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers.
HURRICANE MITCH: CANADA'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE
A Canadian Observer
The following letter appeared in The Toronto Star on December
18, 1998. It was written by Don McCormick, of Huntsville,
Ontario. McCormick is a recently retired high school chemistry
teacher who decided to volunteer in Nicaragua as a relief
worker. As you read the letter, think about his impressions of the
region, the questions the disaster raised in his mind, and the
ultimate rewards he gained from his volunteer work.
Within a week I am standing in the middle of a flood-ravaged
village in the mountains of northern Nicaragua. The flood waters
have subsided and I'm surrounded by stinking, garbage-strewn
muck, uprooted trees clawing at the sky, tangles of branches
wrapped around anything that could withstand the force of the
rushing water. Plastic bags hang in the trees high above the
ground indicating the height to which the river had risen at its
peak. Topsoil, laid down gently over thousands of years, has
been scoured off the valley floor. Only the underlying boulders
remain. Parts of buildings hang perilously over the
embankment. It is overwhelming. Can they ever clean this place
up and repair the damage?
. . . In front of me, 250 villagers are lined up in front of the little
medical clinic to see the members of our medical team.
Standing patiently in the intense heat, they appear dispirited. A
mother holding a child looks pleadingly at the interpreter, fearful
of missing her turn. Some have lost everything in the floods
except the clothes on their backs.
Was it not bad enough that they lived in one of the poorest
nations in the Western Hemisphere? Or that they had endured
almost 10 years of civil wars? Or how about the drought and the
three failed crop plantings they had endured just prior to the
floods? Was this some test of character or sick cosmic practical
joke? What in God's name am I doing here?
. . . But we're here and we resolve to make the best of it.
Reminded that "a journey of 1000 miles starts with a single
step," we wade in. Over the next eight days the medical team
attends to over 1300 people in five communities surrounding the
town of Condega.
. . . The efforts of our construction team are made more difficult
and frustrating because of the disruptions due to the flood.
There is a shortage of building supplies, of money to buy what
few building supplies there are, of vehicles for transporting
materials, and so on. Bridges are washed out and roads are
extremely bad.
In the end, however, six homes are restored. And, during the
inevitable delays, we help shovel the mud out of homes and the
streets, measure out and package food and other necessary
items, till ground and plant gardens, distribute clothing at
refugee centres, transport and distribute food packages to
outlying villages and provide moral support.
. . . My question, "What am I doing here?" is answered over the
course of our stay in small, simple ways: a handshake and a
thank you from an old man; the look of pleasure on the face of a
child who found a pair of donated shoes that fit; the look of relief
on the face of a mother whose child was malnourished but
would eat tonight; the misty eyes of an old woman on seeing her
rebuilt house; the laughter of children playing with balloons
brought by some of the team members provide the answer.
And, ultimately, it is the knowledge that just being heretouching
directly the life of another human being in their time of needis
important, to all of us."
.
Contents
Introduction
The Storm of the Century
Aid, Expertise, and the International Community
Awesome Power
The Impact on Crops and Agriculture
A Canadian Observer
Canada Provides Aid
DART
The Anatomy of a Hurricane
Capricious Mother Nature
Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions
Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers.
HURRICANE MITCH: CANADA'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Canada Provides Aid
As you have seen, relief assistance is both immediate and longterm. As you read the following statistical information, consider
what these figures say about Canada as a nation. In addition to
the obvious humanitarian reasons, for what other reasons would
a country like Canada offer such assistance?
Immediate Help
The Canadian government offered $9-million in immediate aid
money to the countries affected by Hurricane Mitch. The money
was needed to transport personnel and emergency supplies to
the region. In addition to transportation costs, the money was
allocated to the following areas:
$2-million in Canadian food aid for Nicaragua and
Honduras
$500 000 to the Pan American Health
Organization for sanitary and emergency facilities,
transportation of medical supplies, and other needs
such as clean water, food, blankets, and antibiotics
$500 000 to the International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies for immediate
needs and to support long-term rehabilitation
approximately $1-million to Canadian nongovernmental organizations including: CARE,
OXFAM-Canada, Doctors Without Borders, World
Vision, Canadian Centre for International Studies
and Cooperation, and Save the Children
$2-million to the Canadian embassies in Central
America to respond to local relief appeals
about $150 000 for the provision of basic
necessities and mapping
Long-term Assistance
The Canadian government recognizes that it is going to take
years to rebuild the damaged areas and has also committed to
provide help over the long-term in the following ways:
Canada will provide $100-million over the next four
years for Central America's recovery. The funds
will focus on restoring agricultural production,
reconstructing basic health facilities, water and
sanitation infrastructure, and rebuilding houses.
Part of the funds will also go toward protecting the
environment and managing natural resources, for
example, by planting trees on hillsides to prevent
erosion. This is in addition to the approximately
$40-million a year Canada is already spending in
the region, bringing the Canadian International
Development Agency's total contribution to $260million over the next four years.
Canada has suspended repayments of principal
and interest on $29.5-million in official debt owed
by Honduras. This will provide relief to Honduras
until a new repayment schedule can be put in
place. Nicaragua, the other country in the region
seriously affected by Hurricane Mitch, is also a
focus of concern, but there are no outstanding
official debts owed to Canada.
Through the Canadian Landmine Fund, Canada is
providing $3.5-million over five years to support
community-based rehabilitation programs in
Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras. This
initiative will help land mine victims to be able to
meet their basic needs.
.
Contents
Introduction
The Storm of the Century
Aid, Expertise, and the International Community
Awesome Power
The Impact on Crops and Agriculture
A Canadian Observer
Canada Provides Aid
DART
The Anatomy of a Hurricane
Capricious Mother Nature
Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions
Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers.
HURRICANE MITCH: CANADA'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE
DART
In addition to money and emergency aid, the Canadian
government also sent the Canadian Forces' Disaster Assistance
Relief Team (DART) to Honduras. DART is a unique
organization designed to deploy humanitarian aid rapidly to
crisis situations, ranging from natural disasters to complex
humanitarian emergencies. DART gives Canada an additional
capability of responding quickly to requests for humanitarian
assistance and disaster relief. DART consists of about 180
Forces personnel ready to deploy quickly to conduct emergency
relief operations for up to 40 days to bridge the gap until
members of the international community arrive to provide longterm help. The mission to Honduras marked the first time the full
DART team had been deployed, and was considered to be a
test case on how Canada's military could provide emergency
help at home as well as abroad.
Deployment in Honduras
The Canadian team established its tactical headquarters at La
Ceiba, about 100 kilometres north of the Honduran capital city
of Tegucigalpa. La Ceiba had one of the few air strips still
operational after the damaging floods and mud slides. The
leader of the team was Lieutenant-Colonel Wayne Douglas, an
artillery officer and veteran of United Nations missions in the
Middle East. Even with his experience in the Middle East,
Douglas was amazed at the destruction caused by Mitch. "It just
floors you when you look at the damage. The banana crop
doesn't exist." Douglas was proud of the work the Canadians
were accomplishing in Honduras, however, and felt very
appreciated by the local people. "We (were) the first people in,
other than Honduran nationals, to provide support. You could
see the people were happy to see us right away. They could
see that something was coming for them, and they had not,
after all, been forgotten by the world."
By the middle of November the medical field hospital had been
established at Soneguera, about 50 kilometres from the military
base at La Ceiba. By dawn, on its first day of operation, over
400 people were lined up waiting to see doctors at the Canadian
clinic. The demand was great because all of Honduras' doctors
and nurses had been sent to the worst-hit areas of the country,
leaving a vacuum of regular medical aid in other towns. On the
clinic's first day of operation, the team had treated 128 people
by 10 a.m., and still had six more hours to go. Doctors reported
treating a variety of infections and water-borne diseases like
amoebic dysentery. The work of the Canadian doctors was seen
as a blessing by the local people, as one woman said, "We
have no money and there is nobody else to see. We have
walked here with all our hopes."
The engineering troop, of about 40 personnel, was deployed to
provide a wide range of essential services, such as water
purification using a reverse-osmosis water purification unit, fresh
water distribution, and power generation. The infantry platoon,
of about 35 personnel, was staffed and equipped to conduct
security and general labour operations for DART. The logistics
platoon, of about 20 personnel, was responsible for virtually all
support services, such as maintenance, transport, and supply,
that were required to administer and sustain DART.
Analysis
Suggest why this Canadian military mission was so important,
not only to the hurricane-ravaged countries but to Canada itself.
You may wish to conduct further research on the DART mission
to Honduras and prepare a short report analyzing its mission.
.
Contents
Introduction
The Storm of the Century
Aid, Expertise, and the International Community
Awesome Power
The Impact on Crops and Agriculture
A Canadian Observer
Canada Provides Aid
DART
The Anatomy of a Hurricane
Capricious Mother Nature
Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions
Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers.
HURRICANE MITCH: CANADA'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE
The Anatomy of a Hurricane
The terrible power of hurricanes has fascinated weather
watchers for ages. The hurricane season runs from June to
November, with most hurricanes forming in late summer and
early fall over the South Atlantic and the Caribbean. Storms
created in the Indian Ocean are called cyclones, and those
formed in the South Pacific are called typhoons. As you read the
hurricane information below, paraphrased from material
provided by the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the
University of Illinois, record, research if necessary, and define in
your notebook the italicized terms.
Hurricanes are tropical cyclones with winds that exceed 120 km/
h and blow counterclockwise about their centres in the Northern
Hemisphere (clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.) They are
formed from simple thunderstorms. These thunderstorms can
only grow to hurricane strength after being affected by both the
ocean and the atmosphere. First, the ocean water itself must be
warmer than 26.5 degrees Celsius. The heat and moisture from
this warm water is ultimately the source of energy for
hurricanes. Hurricanes will weaken rapidly when they travel over
land or colder ocean waterslocations where their heat and/or
moisture sources do not exist.
Related to the effect of warm ocean water, high relative humidity
is also required for hurricane development. This high humidity
reduces the amount of evaporation in clouds and maximizes the
latent heat released because there is more precipitation. The
vertical wind shear in a tropical cyclone's environment is also
important. Wind shear is defined as the amount of change in the
wind's direction or speed with increasing altitude.
When the wind shear is weak, the storms that are part of the
cyclone grow vertically, and the latent heat from condensation is
released into the air directly above the storm, aiding in
development. When there is stronger wind shear, the storms
become more slanted, and the latent heat release is dispersed
over a much larger area.
Stages of Development
Hurricanes evolve through a life cycle of stages. They may
begin as a cluster of thunderstorms over tropical ocean waters.
Once a disturbance has become a tropical depression, the
amount of time it takes to achieve the next stage, tropical storm,
can take as little as half a day or up to a couple of days. It may
not happen at all. The same amount of time may be the period a
tropical storm needs to intensify into a hurricane. Atmospheric
and oceanic conditions play the major role in determining these
events. As surface pressures continue to drop, a tropical storm
becomes a hurricane when sustained wind speeds reach 120
km/h and a pronounced rotation develops around the central
core.
Hurricanes are Earth's strongest tropical cyclones. A distinctive
feature seen on many hurricanes, and which are unique to
them, is the dark spot found in the middle of the hurricane. This
is called the eye. The eye is a calm area measuring 20 to 50
kilometres across. In contrast to the violent weather around it,
skies inside the eye are often clear. Surrounding the eye is the
region of the most intense winds and rainfall, called the eye
wall. Large bands of clouds and precipitation spiral from the eye
wall and are called spiral rain bands. In the case of Hurricane
Mitch, it was the amount of rain that fell into the region from
these spiral bands that caused the most damage, not the speed
of the winds.
Measuring Hurricanes and their Potential Damage
Since the 1970s, hurricanes have been measured according to
the Saffir-Simpson Scale. This scale divides storms into
categories that estimate the potential property damage from
high winds and coastal storm surge flooding. For decades,
these storm surges, walls of water pushed three to five metres
above normal tide marks, were feared as hurricanes' worst
killers. But since forecasters began organized evacuation plans
about 30 years ago, storm surge deaths have virtually been
eliminated.
Currently, hurricanes are rated on a scale of one to five.
Category 1 is considered minimal, with up to 150 km/h winds.
Category 2 is considered moderate, with winds ranging from
150-175 km/h. Category 3 is rated as extensive, having winds
between 175-200 km/h. Category 4 is rated as extreme, with
winds between 200-250 km/h. Category 5 is called catastrophic,
having winds of 250 km/h or more.
Mitch was rated as a rare Category 5 storm a few days before it
hit land, having winds approaching 300 km/h, but its winds had
slowed considerably by the time it reached Honduras. Mitch was
so deadly because it was heavy with rain and moved slowly
over areas where large populations were densely packed in
valleys and flood plains. The rain created flash floods and mud
slides that killed thousands of people and destroyed most of the
infrastructure in Honduras. The devastation caused by
Hurricane Mitch has led hurricane forecasters to consider
adding a different, additional scale. The new scale would take
into account how much rain a storm is carrying and whether it is
heading for mountainous and heavily populated areas.
.
Contents
Introduction
The Storm of the Century
Aid, Expertise, and the International Community
Awesome Power
The Impact on Crops and Agriculture
A Canadian Observer
Canada Provides Aid
DART
The Anatomy of a Hurricane
Capricious Mother Nature
Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions
Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers.
HURRICANE MITCH: CANADA'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Capricious Mother Nature
The hurricane season of 1998 was the deadliest since 1780.
The season spawned 14 tropical storms and 10 hurricanes, well
above average. It was the first time this century that four
hurricanesGeorges, Ivan, Karl, and Jeannewere active in the
Atlantic region at the same time. And of course, there was
Mitch, the worst Atlantic hurricane documented since 1780. The
previous record holder is still known as The Great Hurricane of
1780, and it was responsible for the deaths of 22 000 people in
Martinique, St. Eustatius, and Barbados.
But it wasn't just a case of more hurricanes in 1998; there was
also an increase in "weird weather" across the globe. Weird
weather is the term scientists use to describe weather that is
atypical for a region in a certain time period. For example, in
February, record rainfall left 100 000 people without electricity
from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay area in California.
Flash floods trapped motorists on their roofs, and coastal homes
were washed off their foundations. In July and August, the
Yangtze River in Southeast China reached its highest levels in
44 years, killing at least 3000 people and forcing millions more
from their homes. In August and September, Bangladesh
experienced the worst floods in 100 years, killing at least 1200
people, and leaving tens of thousands homeless and ill from
water-borne diseases.
The Role of Global Warming
While many people devoted their energies to providing aid to
those affected by natural disasters in 1998, scientists devoted
their energies to trying to determine why there has been an
increase in the amount of violent weather around the globe.
Although no firm answers have been agreed upon, a growing
body of research points to the role of global warming. Global
warming causes the temperature of the Earth's lower
atmosphere to increase. The average surface air temperature
has increased by 0.3 to 0.6 degrees this century. Each month in
1998 broke historical records for global land and ocean
temperatures.
Some climate models predict that while global warming will
reduce the number of hurricanes that occur each year, the
storms themselves will become more severe. A recent report by
Henry Hengeveld, senior climate-change scientist with
Canada's Atmospheric Environment Service, and writer David
Francis pointed out that no matter how many hurricanes occur,
the resulting flooding will be more destructive if warming causes
even a minimal rise in sea levels. There simply will be nowhere
for the flood waters to go. Canadian climate modelling expert
Andrew Weaver believes that the weather phenomenon called
El Niño is itself a symptom of global warming. He also believes
that giant forest fires experienced last year, pest outbreaks,
melting permafrost, the record retreat of Antarctic ice shelves,
and a boom in warm-weather diseases are all linked to global
warming. And he's concerned about the widespread apathy
about the human causes of global warming.
In November 1998 delegates from around the world met in
Buenos Aires, Argentina, to discuss how best to control
humankind's output of so-called greenhouse gases such as
carbon dioxide. Most governments have accepted that such
gases contribute to global warming and pose a threat to human
health, but a firm plan for controlling emissions is not yet in
place.
All the Weather That's Fit To Print
Using the News in Review reports "Global Warming: A
Progress Report," (May 1995) and "Ice Station
Sheba" (September 1998) in addition to this report, write a
commentary in which you explain why weather is news.
.
Contents
Introduction
The Storm of the Century
Aid, Expertise, and the International Community
Awesome Power
The Impact on Crops and Agriculture
A Canadian Observer
Canada Provides Aid
DART
The Anatomy of a Hurricane
Capricious Mother Nature
Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions
Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers.
HURRICANE MITCH: CANADA'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions
1. In October 1954, Hurricane Hazel, the worst hurricane in
Canada's history, hit Toronto. Hazel was responsible for 81
deaths, creating thousands of homeless families, and causing
over $100-million in damage. One survivor, Bryan Mitchell, a
district fire chief at the time, recalls the Humber River
overflowing and sweeping away an entire neighbourhood. In
fact, the water moved so swiftly that some bodies were
eventually found on the other side of Lake Ontario on the shores
of New York State. Conduct additional research on Hurricane
Hazel and prepare a written report to present to your class.
2. Canada has had its fair share of "weird weather" in the
past few years. Conduct research to find out more about one of
the following: the Quebec and Eastern Ontario ice storm of
1998, the Red River floods in Winnipeg in 1997, or the record
snowfall in Toronto in January 1999. See "Comprehensive
News in Review Study Modules" in this resource guide for
reports relating to these two stories.
3. To learn more about hurricanes, or what to do when a
hurricane hits, visit one of the following Web sites:
U.S. National Hurricane Centre: www.nhc.noaa.
gov/
Meteorology of Hurricanes: http://ww2010.atmos.
uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/hurr/home.rxml
Hurricane pictures: http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/hurr/
index.html
Red Cross: www.redcross.org/disaster/safety/
hurrican.html
4. The Canadian Forces' DART mission to Honduras has been
referred to as another example that Canada is a good neighbour
and a peacekeeper. Do you believe the DART mission will
erase the bitter memories of Canadian peacekeepers killing a
Somali civilian while on a mission in Somalia? Or what about
the violent and racist hazing rituals that were uncovered in the
now disbanded Canadian Airborne regiment? Prepare a list of
arguments to be used in a class debate. Background
information can be found in News in Review stories listed in the
index at the back of this resource guide.
5. Relief agencies across Canada, and indeed, throughout
the world, were flooded by calls and offers of support
immediately following Hurricane Mitch. Lola Bendana, a
member of the Nicaraguan Aid Organization, says generosity is
something she has come to expect from her fellow Canadians.
"Even poor people [were] giving $1, or $5," she said. Her
organization also collected enough donations to pack a tractortrailer, and it received clothing directly from retailers. Find out
how your local community contributed to the relief efforts in
Central America. Consider contacting churches and other
religious organizations, government officials in your area, and
aid agencies like the Red Cross.
.
Contents
Introduction
The Storm of the Century
Aid, Expertise, and the International Community
Awesome Power
The Impact on Crops and Agriculture
A Canadian Observer
Canada Provides Aid
DART
The Anatomy of a Hurricane
Capricious Mother Nature
Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions
Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers.