Geography, poverty aided Mitch's destruction LONDON (Reuters) - Local geography and poverty, not just the storm's sheer force, explain why Honduras and other Central American countries took such a beating from Hurricane Mitch, New Scientist magazine said Wednesday. Mitch, the deadliest hurricane in 200 years, killed an estimated 11,000 people. But it was not the most powerful hurricane in the last two centuries and by the time it hit Honduras it had been downgraded to a tropical storm. "The problems came when Mitch hit Central America's mountainous terrain. Its moisture-rich air cooled as it was forced upwards, unleashing a deluge that obliterated entire villages," the magazine said. See full story <http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2557057661-45c>
