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[[File:Hurricane Mitch Oct 26 1998 1915Z.jpg|thumb|[[Hurricane Mitch]] at peak intensity on October 26]]
[[File:Hurricane Mitch Oct 26 1998 1915Z.jpg|thumb|[[Hurricane Mitch]] at peak intensity on October 26]]
[[File:Joan 1988-10-21 1930Z.png|thumb|[[Hurricane Joan]] near peak intensity on October 21 southeast of [[Nicaragua]]]]
[[File:Joan 1988-10-21 1930Z.png|thumb|[[Hurricane Joan]] near peak intensity on October 21 southeast of [[Nicaragua]]]]
[[File:Felix 04 sept 2007 1610Z.jpg|alt=Hurricane Felix making landfall in Nicaragua on September 4, 2007|thumb|[[Hurricane Felix]] making [[landfall]] in [[Nicaragua]] on September 4, 2007]]
'''Nicaragua''', officially the '''Republic of Nicaragua''' ({{Audio-es|República de Nicaragua|ES-pe - República de Nicaragua.ogg}}), is the largest [[Sovereign state|country]] in the [[Central America]]n [[isthmus]], bordered by [[Honduras]] to the northwest, the [[Caribbean Sea|Caribbean]] to the east, [[Costa Rica]] to the south, and the [[Pacific Ocean]] to the southwest. [[Tropical cyclone]]s are common in the country, with an average of one storm a year. The coast is especially subject to destructive tropical storms and hurricanes, particularly from July through October. The high winds and floods, accompanying these storms often cause considerable destruction of property. Hurricanes or heavy rains in the central highlands where agriculture has destroyed much of the natural vegetation also cause considerable crop damage and [[soil erosion]]. One of the deadliest hurricanes to hit Nicaragua has been [[Hurricane Mitch]] in 1998, in which the storm killed thousands in the country.
'''Nicaragua''', officially the '''Republic of Nicaragua''' ({{Audio-es|República de Nicaragua|ES-pe - República de Nicaragua.ogg}}), is the largest [[Sovereign state|country]] in the [[Central America]]n [[isthmus]], bordered by [[Honduras]] to the northwest, the [[Caribbean Sea|Caribbean]] to the east, [[Costa Rica]] to the south, and the [[Pacific Ocean]] to the southwest. [[Tropical cyclone]]s are common in the country, with an average of one storm a year. The coast is especially subject to destructive tropical storms and hurricanes, particularly from July through October. The high winds and floods, accompanying these storms often cause considerable destruction of property. Hurricanes or heavy rains in the central highlands where agriculture has destroyed much of the natural vegetation also cause considerable crop damage and [[soil erosion]]. One of the deadliest hurricanes to hit Nicaragua has been [[Hurricane Mitch]] in 1998, in which the storm killed thousands in the country.


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==1900-1949==
==1900-1949==
*1906 - [[1906 Florida Keys hurricane]] was a powerful hurricane that mainly impacted Cuba and Florida but made landfall in Nicaragua as a [[Saffir–Simpson scale|Category 3 hurricane]].

==1950-1999==
==1950-1999==
*1971 - [[Hurricane Irene–Olivia]] caused heavy rainfall to the [[South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region]] of Nicaragua and made [[landfall]] as a [[Saffir–Simpson scale|Category 1 hurricane]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-10-24|title=Huracán Irene|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024123527/http://www.ineter.gob.ni/Direcciones/meteorologia/Desastres/Huracanes/huracan_irene.htm|access-date=2020-11-12|website=web.archive.org}}</ref>
*1971 - [[Hurricane Irene–Olivia]] caused heavy rainfall to the [[South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region]] of Nicaragua and made [[landfall]] as a [[Saffir–Simpson scale|Category 1 hurricane]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-10-24|title=Huracán Irene|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024123527/http://www.ineter.gob.ni/Direcciones/meteorologia/Desastres/Huracanes/huracan_irene.htm|access-date=2020-11-12|website=web.archive.org}}</ref>
*1988 - [[Hurricane Joan|Hurricane Joan–Miriam]] was one of the worst natural disasters to hit Nicaragua on record. Most of the destruction was in [[Nicaragua]]. Throughout the country, 148&nbsp;people perished, 184&nbsp;were badly hurt, and 100&nbsp;were unaccounted for. Roughly 23,300&nbsp;homes were destroyed, with 6,000 being damaged.<ref name="NHCJoanp2">Dr. Harold P. Gerrish. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1988-prelim/joan/prelim02.gif NHC Joan report p. 2] accessed April 10, 2006</ref> Many settlements on the Atlantic coast of the country were completely destroyed.<ref name="Fox">Fox, Robert [http://perc.ca/PEN/1989-03/fox.html Nicaragua Still Reeling in Wake of a Hurricane] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050320125718/http://www.perc.ca/PEN/1989-03/fox.html |date=March 20, 2005 }} accessed April 10, 2006</ref> In [[Costa Rica]], a total of 55,000 people were evacuated.<ref name="NHCJoanp4">{{cite web | url= http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1988-prelim/joan/prelim03.gif | title = NHC Joan report p. 4 | accessdate= April 10, 2006}}</ref> The national electric company had {{convert|620|mi|km}} of downed power lines, at the cost of 2.5&nbsp;million USD (1988&nbsp;dollars).<ref name="Preston">{{cite web|last=Preston|first= Julia|publisher= [[Washington Post]]|year=1988|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/weather/hurricane/poststories/joan.htm|title= Response Tepid to Managua's Aid Plea |accessdate=April 10, 2006}}</ref> A port being constructed with Bulgarian help at [[El Bluff]] was severely damaged. On a brighter note, [[public health]] measures managed to keep the death toll lower than it could have been.<ref name="Fox" /> [[Bluefields, Nicaragua|Bluefields]] was hit with extreme impact. Almost all the 7,500&nbsp;structures in the city were demolished<ref name="EoHDL204">David Longshore ''Encyclopedia of Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones'' pg. 204</ref> or had their roofs blown off. The majority of the main buildings in the city were destroyed.<ref name="NHCJoanp2" /> The hurricane also wreaked havoc on agriculture in the country. Around 15,700&nbsp;head of cattle, 20,000&nbsp;pigs, and 456,000&nbsp;chickens were killed.<ref name="NHCJoanp2" /> The hurricane caused severe disruption in most of Nicaragua's remaining [[rain forests]] in the areas it hit, and also stripped trees of leaves.<ref name="Vetiver">Vetiver Network International. [https://web.archive.org/web/20000920034911/http://www.vetiver.com/LAVN_Nicaragua.htm Vetiver as a Component of World Relief's Sustainable Agriculture Program in Nicaragua] accessed April 11, 2006</ref> In the southeast rain forests, Joan toppled or snapped 80&nbsp;percent of the trees and completely destroyed {{convert|500000|ha|acre}} of canopy.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.bio-nica.info/biblioteca/Yih1991RainForestHurricane.pdf|journal=Biotropica|volume=23|number=2|pages=106–113|title=Recovery of the Rain Forest of Southeastern Nicaragua After Destruction by Hurricane Joan|author1=Katherine Yih |author2=Douglas h. Boucher |author3=John H. Vandermeer |author4=Nelson Zamora |year=1991|accessdate=2009-11-07|doi=10.2307/2388295|jstor=2388295}}</ref> Hurricane Joan caused transportation difficulties in the country. Floodwaters destroyed 30&nbsp;bridges and seriously damaged 36&nbsp;others. Roads totaling {{convert|404|mi|km}} in length were washed away.<ref name="NHCJoanp2" /> The hurricane destroyed much of the infrastructure in Nicaragua, contributing to a [[recession]] that was already underway. The losses to [[cash crop]]s severely reduced exports to under 200&nbsp;million dollars (1988&nbsp;USD).<ref name="Preston" /> These factors combined to aggravate a recession and deepen the economic crisis. Government spending to rebuild infrastructure negated recently introduced anti-[[inflation]] measures. Hurricane Joan was a partial cause of Nicaraguans being, on average, worse-off than they were in the 1970s.<ref name="Historical Background">[[United States Library of Congress]]. [http://countrystudies.us/nicaragua/33.htm Nicaragua Historical Background] accessed April 11, 2006</ref> In all, the storm left at least 250,000 people homeless.<ref name="EoHDL204">David Longshore ''Encyclopedia of Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones'' pg. 204</ref> Total damages in the country amounted to $751.1&nbsp;million.<ref name="UNDHA">{{cite web|author=United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs|publisher=ReliefWeb|year=1988|accessdate=August 26, 2009|title=Hurricane Joan&nbsp;— Oct 1988 UN DHA Situation Reports 1-13|url=http://www.reliefweb.int/rwarchive/rwb.nsf/db900sid/ACOS-64BKFC?OpenDocument&emid=ACOS-635NXR}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>
*1988 - [[Hurricane Joan|Hurricane Joan–Miriam]] was one of the worst natural disasters to hit Nicaragua on record. Most of the destruction was in [[Nicaragua]]. Throughout the country, 148&nbsp;people perished, 184&nbsp;were badly hurt, and 100&nbsp;were unaccounted for. Roughly 23,300&nbsp;homes were destroyed, with 6,000 being damaged.<ref name="NHCJoanp2">Dr. Harold P. Gerrish. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1988-prelim/joan/prelim02.gif NHC Joan report p. 2] accessed April 10, 2006</ref> Many settlements on the Atlantic coast of the country were completely destroyed.<ref name="Fox">Fox, Robert [http://perc.ca/PEN/1989-03/fox.html Nicaragua Still Reeling in Wake of a Hurricane] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050320125718/http://www.perc.ca/PEN/1989-03/fox.html |date=March 20, 2005 }} accessed April 10, 2006</ref> In [[Costa Rica]], a total of 55,000 people were evacuated.<ref name="NHCJoanp4">{{cite web | url= http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1988-prelim/joan/prelim03.gif | title = NHC Joan report p. 4 | accessdate= April 10, 2006}}</ref> The national electric company had {{convert|620|mi|km}} of downed power lines, at the cost of 2.5&nbsp;million USD (1988&nbsp;dollars).<ref name="Preston">{{cite web|last=Preston|first= Julia|publisher= [[Washington Post]]|year=1988|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/weather/hurricane/poststories/joan.htm|title= Response Tepid to Managua's Aid Plea |accessdate=April 10, 2006}}</ref> A port being constructed with Bulgarian help at [[El Bluff]] was severely damaged. On a brighter note, [[public health]] measures managed to keep the death toll lower than it could have been.<ref name="Fox" /> [[Bluefields, Nicaragua|Bluefields]] was hit with extreme impact. Almost all the 7,500&nbsp;structures in the city were demolished<ref name="EoHDL204">David Longshore ''Encyclopedia of Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones'' pg. 204</ref> or had their roofs blown off. The majority of the main buildings in the city were destroyed.<ref name="NHCJoanp2" /> The hurricane also wreaked havoc on agriculture in the country. Around 15,700&nbsp;head of cattle, 20,000&nbsp;pigs, and 456,000&nbsp;chickens were killed.<ref name="NHCJoanp2" /> The hurricane caused severe disruption in most of Nicaragua's remaining [[rain forests]] in the areas it hit, and also stripped trees of leaves.<ref name="Vetiver">Vetiver Network International. [https://web.archive.org/web/20000920034911/http://www.vetiver.com/LAVN_Nicaragua.htm Vetiver as a Component of World Relief's Sustainable Agriculture Program in Nicaragua] accessed April 11, 2006</ref> In the southeast rain forests, Joan toppled or snapped 80&nbsp;percent of the trees and completely destroyed {{convert|500000|ha|acre}} of canopy.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.bio-nica.info/biblioteca/Yih1991RainForestHurricane.pdf|journal=Biotropica|volume=23|number=2|pages=106–113|title=Recovery of the Rain Forest of Southeastern Nicaragua After Destruction by Hurricane Joan|author1=Katherine Yih |author2=Douglas h. Boucher |author3=John H. Vandermeer |author4=Nelson Zamora |year=1991|accessdate=2009-11-07|doi=10.2307/2388295|jstor=2388295}}</ref> Hurricane Joan caused transportation difficulties in the country. Floodwaters destroyed 30&nbsp;bridges and seriously damaged 36&nbsp;others. Roads totaling {{convert|404|mi|km}} in length were washed away.<ref name="NHCJoanp2" /> The hurricane destroyed much of the infrastructure in Nicaragua, contributing to a [[recession]] that was already underway. The losses to [[cash crop]]s severely reduced exports to under 200&nbsp;million dollars (1988&nbsp;USD).<ref name="Preston" /> These factors combined to aggravate a recession and deepen the economic crisis. Government spending to rebuild infrastructure negated recently introduced anti-[[inflation]] measures. Hurricane Joan was a partial cause of Nicaraguans being, on average, worse-off than they were in the 1970s.<ref name="Historical Background">[[United States Library of Congress]]. [http://countrystudies.us/nicaragua/33.htm Nicaragua Historical Background] accessed April 11, 2006</ref> In all, the storm left at least 250,000 people homeless.<ref name="EoHDL204">David Longshore ''Encyclopedia of Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones'' pg. 204</ref> Total damages in the country amounted to $751.1&nbsp;million.<ref name="UNDHA">{{cite web|author=United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs|publisher=ReliefWeb|year=1988|accessdate=August 26, 2009|title=Hurricane Joan&nbsp;— Oct 1988 UN DHA Situation Reports 1-13|url=http://www.reliefweb.int/rwarchive/rwb.nsf/db900sid/ACOS-64BKFC?OpenDocument&emid=ACOS-635NXR}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>
*1993 - [[Tropical Storm Bret (1993)]] made landfall in Nicaragua as a moderate tropical storm, causing flooding that left 25&nbsp;villages isolated. <ref name="mh812">{{cite news|newspaper=Miami Herald|date=August 12, 1993|accessdate=August 18, 2015|title=Bret Leaves 4 Dead on Caribbean Coast|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1993/bret/news/mh0812p2.gif}}</ref><ref name="nrw"/> It also brought heavy rainfall to Nicaragua, destroying 12&nbsp;bridges and disrupting the drainage systems along the regional road network.<ref name="nrw">{{cite report|year=1993|title=Nicaragua Tropical Storm Aug 1993 UN DHA Situation Reports 1 – 8|work=United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs|publisher=ReliefWeb|accessdate=August 11, 2015|url=http://reliefweb.int/report/nicaragua/nicaragua-tropical-storm-aug-1993-un-dha-situation-reports-1-8}}</ref>
*1993 - [[Tropical Storm Bret (1993)]] made landfall in Nicaragua as a moderate tropical storm, causing flooding that left 25&nbsp;villages isolated. <ref name="mh812">{{cite news|newspaper=Miami Herald|date=August 12, 1993|accessdate=August 18, 2015|title=Bret Leaves 4 Dead on Caribbean Coast|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1993/bret/news/mh0812p2.gif}}</ref><ref name="nrw"/> It also brought heavy rainfall to Nicaragua, destroying 12&nbsp;bridges and disrupting the drainage systems along the regional road network.<ref name="nrw">{{cite report|year=1993|title=Nicaragua Tropical Storm Aug 1993 UN DHA Situation Reports 1 – 8|work=United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs|publisher=ReliefWeb|accessdate=August 11, 2015|url=http://reliefweb.int/report/nicaragua/nicaragua-tropical-storm-aug-1993-un-dha-situation-reports-1-8}}</ref>
*1996 - [[Hurricane Cesar–Douglas]] was a long-lasting and strong hurricane and was one of the few to survive the [[List of Atlantic–Pacific crossover hurricanes|crossover]] from the Atlantic to east Pacific basin, Cesar made [[landfall]] near [[Bluefields]] as a weak [[Saffir–Simpson scale|Category 1 hurricane]].
*1998 - [[Hurricane Mitch]] was also one of the worst natural disasters to hit Nicaragua, claiming the lives of around 3,800 people. It also brought extensive rainfall to Nicaragua, bringing over 25 inches of rain to some coastal areas. <ref name="reports">{{cite web|author=ERRI Watch Center|title=Real-Time Reports Concerning the Devastation Caused by Hurricane Mitch|accessdate=2006-04-28|url=http://www.emergency.com/hurmitch.htm|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060422010920/http://www.emergency.com/hurmitch.htm |archivedate = April 22, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> As a result of the extensive rainfall, the flank of the [[Geography of Nicaragua|Casita]] Volcano failed and became a lahar. This created a mudslide that would cover an area 10&nbsp;miles (16 km) long and 5&nbsp;miles (8&nbsp;km) wide.
*1998 - [[Hurricane Mitch]] was also one of the worst natural disasters to hit Nicaragua, claiming the lives of around 3,800 people. It also brought extensive rainfall to Nicaragua, bringing over 25 inches of rain to some coastal areas. <ref name="reports">{{cite web|author=ERRI Watch Center|title=Real-Time Reports Concerning the Devastation Caused by Hurricane Mitch|accessdate=2006-04-28|url=http://www.emergency.com/hurmitch.htm|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060422010920/http://www.emergency.com/hurmitch.htm |archivedate = April 22, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> As a result of the extensive rainfall, the flank of the [[Geography of Nicaragua|Casita]] Volcano failed and became a lahar. This created a mudslide that would cover an area 10&nbsp;miles (16 km) long and 5&nbsp;miles (8&nbsp;km) wide.


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* 2005 - [[Hurricane Beta]] was a major hurricane that impacted central Nicaragua and made landfall as a [[Saffir–Simpson scale|Category 1 hurricane]] causing over 6 million dollars in damage along with 6 deaths.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-07-24|title=La Prensa - Ultima Hora|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724143700/http://archivo.laprensa.com.ni/archivo/2005/noviembre/02/ultimahora/index.html|access-date=2020-11-12|website=web.archive.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=People's Daily Online -- Hurricane Beta hits Nicaragua, triggers heavy rains in Honduras, Costa Rica|url=http://en.people.cn/200510/31/eng20051031_217948.html|access-date=2020-11-12|website=en.people.cn}}</ref>
* 2005 - [[Hurricane Beta]] was a major hurricane that impacted central Nicaragua and made landfall as a [[Saffir–Simpson scale|Category 1 hurricane]] causing over 6 million dollars in damage along with 6 deaths.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-07-24|title=La Prensa - Ultima Hora|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724143700/http://archivo.laprensa.com.ni/archivo/2005/noviembre/02/ultimahora/index.html|access-date=2020-11-12|website=web.archive.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=People's Daily Online -- Hurricane Beta hits Nicaragua, triggers heavy rains in Honduras, Costa Rica|url=http://en.people.cn/200510/31/eng20051031_217948.html|access-date=2020-11-12|website=en.people.cn}}</ref>
*2007 - [[Hurricane Felix]] was a major hurricane that struck [[Central America]] and made [[landfall]] just south of the border between [[Nicaragua]] and [[Honduras]] causing more than 100 deaths and 700 million dollars in damage.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2009-01-22|title=Huracán los terminó de hundir en la pobreza - El Nuevo Diario - Managua, Nicaragua|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122094329/http://impreso.elnuevodiario.com.ni/2007/01/29/especiales/84368|access-date=2020-11-14|website=web.archive.org}}</ref>
*2009 - [[Hurricane Ida]] made [[landfall]] north of [[Bluefields]] as a [[Saffir–Simpson scale|Category 1 hurricane]] and caused over 9 inches of rain and 2 million dollars in damage.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=NHC - Hurricane Ida Tropical Cyclone Report (November 2009)|url=https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL112009_Ida.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref>
* 2016 - [[Hurricane Otto]] was a late forming hurricane that effected the southeastern corner of Nicaragua and made landfall over the [[Indio Maíz Biological Reserve]] which caused heavy rainfall along with 4 fatalities, the name ''Otto'' was retired in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|title=World Meteorological Organization retires storm names Matthew and Otto {{!}} National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|url=https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/world-meteorological-organization-retires-storm-names-matthew-and-otto|access-date=2020-11-12|website=www.noaa.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Hurricane Otto leaves at least nine dead in Costa Rica|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/11/26/hurricane-otto-leaves-at-least-nine-dead-in-costa-rica|access-date=2020-11-12|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en}}</ref>
* 2016 - [[Hurricane Otto]] was a late forming hurricane that effected the southeastern corner of Nicaragua and made landfall over the [[Indio Maíz Biological Reserve]] which caused heavy rainfall along with 4 fatalities, the name ''Otto'' was retired in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|title=World Meteorological Organization retires storm names Matthew and Otto {{!}} National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|url=https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/world-meteorological-organization-retires-storm-names-matthew-and-otto|access-date=2020-11-12|website=www.noaa.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Hurricane Otto leaves at least nine dead in Costa Rica|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/11/26/hurricane-otto-leaves-at-least-nine-dead-in-costa-rica|access-date=2020-11-12|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en}}</ref>


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==Climatology==
==Climatology==
{{col-float}}

{{bar graph
| title = Storms Affecting Nicaragua by month
| data_max = 60
| label_type = Month
| data_type = Number of Storms
| label1 = January |data1 =
| label2 = February |data2 =
| label3 = March |data3 =
| label4 = April |data4 =
| label5 = May |data5 =
| label6 = June |data6 =
| label7 = July |data7 = 1
| label8 = August |data8 = 1
| label9 = September |data9 = 2
| label10 = October |data10 = 3
| label11 = November |data11 = 3
| label12 = December |data12 =
| label13 = Overall |data13 =
}}
{{col-float-break}}
{{bar graph
| title = Storms affecting Nicaragua by period
| data_max = 60
| label_type = Period
| data_type = Number of storms
| label1 = 1600s |data1 =
| label2 = 1700s |data2 =
| label3 = 1800s |data3 =
| label4 = 1900s |data4 = 6
| label5 = 2000s |data5 = 3
| label6 = 2010s |data6 = 1
| label7 = 2020s |data7 = 1
| label8 = Overall |data8 = 11
}}
{{col-float-end}}
==Deadly storms==
==Deadly storms==


Revision as of 00:59, 14 November 2020

Hurricane Mitch at peak intensity on October 26
Hurricane Joan near peak intensity on October 21 southeast of Nicaragua
Hurricane Felix making landfall in Nicaragua on September 4, 2007
Hurricane Felix making landfall in Nicaragua on September 4, 2007

Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua (Template:Audio-es), is the largest country in the Central American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the northwest, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Tropical cyclones are common in the country, with an average of one storm a year. The coast is especially subject to destructive tropical storms and hurricanes, particularly from July through October. The high winds and floods, accompanying these storms often cause considerable destruction of property. Hurricanes or heavy rains in the central highlands where agriculture has destroyed much of the natural vegetation also cause considerable crop damage and soil erosion. One of the deadliest hurricanes to hit Nicaragua has been Hurricane Mitch in 1998, in which the storm killed thousands in the country.

Pre-1900s

1900-1949

1950-1999

  • 1971 - Hurricane Irene–Olivia caused heavy rainfall to the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region of Nicaragua and made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane.[1]
  • 1988 - Hurricane Joan–Miriam was one of the worst natural disasters to hit Nicaragua on record. Most of the destruction was in Nicaragua. Throughout the country, 148 people perished, 184 were badly hurt, and 100 were unaccounted for. Roughly 23,300 homes were destroyed, with 6,000 being damaged.[2] Many settlements on the Atlantic coast of the country were completely destroyed.[3] In Costa Rica, a total of 55,000 people were evacuated.[4] The national electric company had 620 miles (1,000 km) of downed power lines, at the cost of 2.5 million USD (1988 dollars).[5] A port being constructed with Bulgarian help at El Bluff was severely damaged. On a brighter note, public health measures managed to keep the death toll lower than it could have been.[3] Bluefields was hit with extreme impact. Almost all the 7,500 structures in the city were demolished[6] or had their roofs blown off. The majority of the main buildings in the city were destroyed.[2] The hurricane also wreaked havoc on agriculture in the country. Around 15,700 head of cattle, 20,000 pigs, and 456,000 chickens were killed.[2] The hurricane caused severe disruption in most of Nicaragua's remaining rain forests in the areas it hit, and also stripped trees of leaves.[7] In the southeast rain forests, Joan toppled or snapped 80 percent of the trees and completely destroyed 500,000 hectares (1,200,000 acres) of canopy.[8] Hurricane Joan caused transportation difficulties in the country. Floodwaters destroyed 30 bridges and seriously damaged 36 others. Roads totaling 404 miles (650 km) in length were washed away.[2] The hurricane destroyed much of the infrastructure in Nicaragua, contributing to a recession that was already underway. The losses to cash crops severely reduced exports to under 200 million dollars (1988 USD).[5] These factors combined to aggravate a recession and deepen the economic crisis. Government spending to rebuild infrastructure negated recently introduced anti-inflation measures. Hurricane Joan was a partial cause of Nicaraguans being, on average, worse-off than they were in the 1970s.[9] In all, the storm left at least 250,000 people homeless.[6] Total damages in the country amounted to $751.1 million.[10]
  • 1993 - Tropical Storm Bret (1993) made landfall in Nicaragua as a moderate tropical storm, causing flooding that left 25 villages isolated. [11][12] It also brought heavy rainfall to Nicaragua, destroying 12 bridges and disrupting the drainage systems along the regional road network.[12]
  • 1996 - Hurricane Cesar–Douglas was a long-lasting and strong hurricane and was one of the few to survive the crossover from the Atlantic to east Pacific basin, Cesar made landfall near Bluefields as a weak Category 1 hurricane.
  • 1998 - Hurricane Mitch was also one of the worst natural disasters to hit Nicaragua, claiming the lives of around 3,800 people. It also brought extensive rainfall to Nicaragua, bringing over 25 inches of rain to some coastal areas. [13] As a result of the extensive rainfall, the flank of the Casita Volcano failed and became a lahar. This created a mudslide that would cover an area 10 miles (16 km) long and 5 miles (8 km) wide.

2000s

Climatology

Storms Affecting Nicaragua by month
Month Number of Storms
July
1
August
1
September
2
October
3
November
3
Storms affecting Nicaragua by period
Period Number of storms
1900s
6
2000s
3
2010s
1
2020s
1
Overall
11

Deadly storms

References

  1. ^ "Huracán Irene". web.archive.org. 2007-10-24. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  2. ^ a b c d Dr. Harold P. Gerrish. NHC Joan report p. 2 accessed April 10, 2006
  3. ^ a b Fox, Robert Nicaragua Still Reeling in Wake of a Hurricane Archived March 20, 2005, at the Wayback Machine accessed April 10, 2006
  4. ^ "NHC Joan report p. 4". Retrieved April 10, 2006.
  5. ^ a b Preston, Julia (1988). "Response Tepid to Managua's Aid Plea". Washington Post. Retrieved April 10, 2006.
  6. ^ a b David Longshore Encyclopedia of Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones pg. 204
  7. ^ Vetiver Network International. Vetiver as a Component of World Relief's Sustainable Agriculture Program in Nicaragua accessed April 11, 2006
  8. ^ Katherine Yih; Douglas h. Boucher; John H. Vandermeer; Nelson Zamora (1991). "Recovery of the Rain Forest of Southeastern Nicaragua After Destruction by Hurricane Joan" (PDF). Biotropica. 23 (2): 106–113. doi:10.2307/2388295. JSTOR 2388295. Retrieved 2009-11-07.
  9. ^ United States Library of Congress. Nicaragua Historical Background accessed April 11, 2006
  10. ^ United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs (1988). "Hurricane Joan — Oct 1988 UN DHA Situation Reports 1-13". ReliefWeb. Retrieved August 26, 2009. [dead link]
  11. ^ "Bret Leaves 4 Dead on Caribbean Coast". Miami Herald. August 12, 1993. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  12. ^ a b Nicaragua Tropical Storm Aug 1993 UN DHA Situation Reports 1 – 8. United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs (Report). ReliefWeb. 1993. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  13. ^ ERRI Watch Center. "Real-Time Reports Concerning the Devastation Caused by Hurricane Mitch". Archived from the original on April 22, 2006. Retrieved 2006-04-28.
  14. ^ "La Prensa - Ultima Hora". web.archive.org. 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  15. ^ "People's Daily Online -- Hurricane Beta hits Nicaragua, triggers heavy rains in Honduras, Costa Rica". en.people.cn. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  16. ^ "Huracán los terminó de hundir en la pobreza - El Nuevo Diario - Managua, Nicaragua". web.archive.org. 2009-01-22. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
  17. ^ "NHC - Hurricane Ida Tropical Cyclone Report (November 2009)" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ "World Meteorological Organization retires storm names Matthew and Otto | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration". www.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  19. ^ "Hurricane Otto leaves at least nine dead in Costa Rica". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  20. ^ "Nicaragua muestra informe de daños por Eta a comunidad internacional". http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?o=rn&id=410354&SEO=nicaragua-muestra-informe-de-danos-por-eta-a-comunidad-internacional (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2020-11-12. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  21. ^ Brigida, Anna-Cat; Cappucci, Matthew. "Hurricane Eta makes landfall in Nicaragua as a fierce Category 4 storm; flood disaster looms". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-11-12.

Category:Hurricanes in Nicaragua

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