Nearly a billion dollars of international aid has helped repair destroyed infrastructure and bolster teetering economies. Hurricane Mitch hit Central America in late October 1998 and for four days, unleashed relentless torrents of rain that washed away roads, homes, livestock, crops, and people. The eye of the storm was above the Caribbean coast of Honduras. All that ended with Mitch. The third stage of emergency response has been to rebuild roads, schools, and homes.
Trees hold soil in place and can deter mudslides and flooding.
The conservation group is also trying to raise funds to establish a small emergency fund so they are better prepared when the next hurricane hits. The pattern of post-hurricane assistance was much the same in Guatemala's Punta Manabique, a narrow finger of wetlands and lagoons on the Caribbean. Since Mitch, the group has identified the most vulnerable watersheds and helped organize local emergency committees.