In November, two devastating storms hit Central America in a space of two weeks. Hurricanes Eta and Iota pummeled Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala where winds, rain, and flooding caused significant destruction. The effects of these hurricanes may well rank as among the worst in the region's history. Hurricanes Eta and Iota led to the loss of more than two hundred human lives and damaged an economy already expected to contract by as much as 9 percent due to the coronavirus pandemic. In Honduras, the economic engine of the country—the Valley of San Pedro de Sulla—was one of the most affected areas. Business leaders in the area estimate a loss of 40 percent of gross domestic product due to the hurricanes—this is in addition to the thousands of people being left homeless.

The year 2020 was the busiest hurricane season on record, and the fifth consecutive year since 2016 to log at least one Category 5 storm. Climate scientists attribute some of this increased activity to particularly warm Caribbean Ocean temperatures, and such warming is only expected to increase in the coming decades. These are likely not the last devastating storms that Central America will face in the coming years.

As the global community works together to assist Central America in recovering from this disastrous season, experiences from other recent disaster recovery efforts offer some helpful lessons, both for the governments of the region as well as outsiders providing resources and support.

Read the full article about disaster recovery by Shelly Culbertson,  Ismael Arciniegas Rueda, and David Groves at National Interest.