ESSC 575 - Field Practicum - Mayterm Trip 1999 - Honduras

Pre-Post Hurricane Mitch Photos
Guanaja, Honduras - May 1999

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LOCATION INFORMATION ON GUANAJA	PRE- HURRICANE MITCH	POST- HURRICANE MITCH	OTHER NOTES AND COMMENTS
The east side of the main runway of Guanaja's airport (Bay Islands, Honduras). The hills in back are normally covered with stands of Caribbean Pine at the higher levels and tropical lowland broadleaf dry forest on the lower slopes (and in sheltered spots rainforest).			The house under reconstruction is at the same location as before. The pine forests were largelly killed by salt spray and wind-stripping of all leaves. The lowland tropical broadleaf forest (lower level of hills) is seen regenerating quite well though it was still heavily damaged.
Mangrove Bight from the sea (on the northside of Guanaja). The hill behind the village is normally completely covered in forest and most houses were build over water. After Mitch the forest cover is gone, the rock strata is now exposed and houses on the seaward side were essentially eradicated (only 7 of 200+ houses survived the storm).			Savannah Bight before the hurricane from the land looking east.
Savannah Bight near the east end on the south side of Guanaja, Honduras. Many houses formerly built over water were destroyed and most trees killed or felled.			Note a few houses are being rebuilt with the debris left by the storm. This photo is from May 1999 about six months after the hurricane.
The Columbus Monument near Soldado Beach (northshore of Guanaja, Bay Islands, Honduras). The building was a visitor center under construction funded by the Spanish Government to commemorate the 1504 landing here by Columbus--a place he called Isla de Pinos.			Note that the pine trees are all dead and the shoreline is very severely eroded. The former visitor center is completely gone except for a few house posts.