Entre hurricanes

I discovered yesterday that Hurricane Felix, a potentially catastrophic category 5 storm, is heading straight towards the Mosquito Coast of Honduras. According to www.weather.com, it is supposed to strike Honduras about when our flight from South Bend is due to leave.




I don't know much about hurricanes, but I do know that no Honduran can forget the devastating impact of Hurricane Mitch, which, according to Wikipedia, killed 11,000 in Honduras alone. I have heard reports of as many as 17,000 killed. My understanding is that the winds were not the problem; the intense rain -- possibly 75 inches -- caused massive flooding and mudslides. Developing countries, with their lack of infrastructure, are not prepared for these super hurricanes that are becoming more and more common every year.

We will certainly track the progress of this storm to see what effect it has on our Wednesday morning flight. My guess is that it will be delayed, if not canceled. Our concern, however, must be minimal when compared to the people living on the coast of Honduras and Nicaragua.