Elections Postponed After Storms

The month of October was a devastating month for the country of Honduras. Torrential rain storms from a tropical depression flooded lands on the edges of rivers and reshaped the rivers’ paths across Honduras. In October 1998, Hurricane Mitch had similar impacts on the paths of rivers. The government announced yesterday that a team of experts were beginning the process of redrawing the map of Honduras.

While Hurricane Mitch caused 7,000 deaths and $3.8 billion in damage, many lessons were learned to prevent future destruction in high-risk flood areas. Unfortunately, areas that did not flood during Hurricane Mitch were among the lands devastated this year. Local media reports 34 deaths due to the flooding and another 13 deaths from a cold front that set in after the tropical depression passed.

The Honduran Armed Forces’ disaster responds and clean up has forced a change in the Honduras election process. The army has worked hard to remove people from communities that have been isolated after bridge washouts and they have also played a role in rebuilding roads and redirecting traffic through the counties’ mountainous terrain. With their relief efforts still needed, the President and National Congress have reached an agreement to push the primary elections back from the 16th to the 30th of November. With the extra two weeks, more military personnal will be available at voting booths.