You are on page 1of 4

Name: Brayden

Hansen

Date: December 6, 2016

Answer sheet

Hurricane Mitch

In the eye of the storm


Task 2: Record the capital cities of the Central
American countries
Q1) Record the capitals of Central American countries in the table
below.
Central America Prior to Hurricane Mitch
Populated places
Country

Transportation

Agricultural
use

Capital

Distribution

Roads

Railroads

Airport
s

Precipitation

Belize

Belmopan

Throughout
the country,
but
concentrated
around the
capital

Sparse
network

None

One
near the
coast

Primarily
1,4012,800
mm

Primarily
forest, with
some irrigated
land and little
cropland

Guatemala

Guatemal
a City

Nearly all
throughout.
Heavy in the
southern half,
more sparse
higher north

Heavy
network in
southern
half and
near
capital.
Sparse in
north

Yes, they
run mainly
east/west
through
the
southern
half of the
country
and
passing
through
the capital

9 total
scattere
d
through
out. 6/7
out of 9
in
souther
n half

2800-4000
mm

Mainly forest,
with a good
amount of
irrigated land.
Some sand,
grazing, and
non-irrigated
land. Also a
couple lakes

Honduras

Tegucigal
pa

Much more in
the eastern
half than
western.
Heavy near
the capital

All in
eastern
half.
Heavy in
the north
and east

Very few
and only
in the very
northern
part of the
country
near the
capital

13 total.
Large
souther
n chunk
of
country
only
area
w/out
one

1000-2000
mm

A lot of nonirrigated land


with some
forest and
crop land

El Salvador

San
Salvador

Throughout
the country,
but
concentrated
around the
capital

Heavy
network
throughou
t
connectin
g at the
capital

Yes, they
run
through
the center
of the
country by
the

4 total,
2 by the
capital.
Other 2
in
eastern
part of

1400-2800
mm

Primarily crop
land, with thick
slivers of
grazing land
and forest
wetlands

Mapping Our World Using ArcGIS Online


Module 7, Lesson 2: Answer sheet

capital;
mainly
connectin
g to the
coast

country

Nicaragua

Managua

Scattered
throughout.
Mostly near
coastlines,
mainly the
capital side

Sparse
network in
eastern
half. None
in north

Very small
amount
near the
capital, by
the coast.

11 total,
2 on
islands
and 3
near that
coast.
Heavy
near
capital

1400-2000
mm

Lot of forest.
Irrigated land
and wetlands
the only thing
not in this
country

Costa Rica

San Jose

Scattered
throughout,
east coast
line more
dense,
especially
near the
capital

Consisten
t network
throughou
t.
Surroundi
ng capital
and
western
coast

Yes,
throughou
t the
center of
the
country
and
meeting at
the capital

18 total,
3 up
north,
most
around
capital
and in
the
south

2000-2800
mm

Fairly equal
amounts of
crop land,
grazing land,
forest, and
non-irrigated
land

Panama

Panama
City

Around the
Gulf, the
capital, and
upper half of
the country.
Bottom half
nearly
deserted

One main
road that
runs the
length of
entire
country

Yes, near
the capital
stretching
to the
Caribbean
Sea

18 total,
heavy
near
capital
& on
east
border

2000-4000
mm

Heavy forest,
with some
crop land, &
chunks of
grazing land.
Smallest
shard of nonirrigated

Task 3: Identify the population centers, transportation


routes, and land use of the countries in Central
America
Q2) Fill in the Populated places: Distribution column and the two
Transportation columns (Railroads and Airports) in the table in Q1.
Q3) Analyze the annual precipitation for each country and fill in the
Precipitation column in the table in Q1.
Q4) Fill in the last column (Agricultural use) in the table in Q1.
Q5) Which country has the largest proportion of its area devoted to
crops? El Salvador
Q6) Which country is the most mountainous? Definitely Honduras with
Guatemala being a close runner-up.
Q7) Fill in the Transportation: Roads column in the table in Q1. Which
country has the largest proportion of its territory covered by roads?
Mapping Our World Using ArcGIS Online
Module 7, Lesson 2: Answer sheet

El Salvador

Task 4: Track Hurricane Mitch


Q8) When was Tropical Storm Mitch at this location? 3 AM on 10/23
Q9) What was Mitchs wind speed at this location? 45 mph
Q10) When was Hurricane Mitch at this location? 9 AM on 10/24
Q11) What was Mitchs wind speed at this location? 80 mph
Q12) When was Hurricane Mitch at this location? 9 PM on 10/27
Q13) What was Mitchs wind speed at this location? 135 mph
Q14) How long did it take for Tropical Storm Mitch to become a category 5
hurricane? Write down the time for each event and determine the
difference.
Hurricane5 time point: 12 PM on 10/26
Tropical Storm time point: 3 AM on 10/24
Time difference: 2 days and 9 hours
Q15) What was Hurricane Mitchs maximum wind speed during this
period? 155 mph
Task 5: Measure the size of the storm

Q16) What was the very largest diameter of the eye of Hurricane Mitch?
20.4 miles
Q17) What was the very largest diameter of Hurricane Mitch? 684.4 miles
Q18) What changes in size, location, and cloud cover did you see in the
storm as it made landfall? The hurricane grew in size at it neared
toward land, but dispersed into heavy could cover the more it
moved over land. It began compact and tight as it was still over the
ocean as it began to hit Honduras and Nicaragua. It moved north up
into Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Task 6: Analyze rainfall from Hurricane Mitch

Q19) What pattern do you notice in the amount of rainfall? The heaviest
amounts are in the eye and on land in Nicaragua. Some on the
outskirts of right side of the storm.
Mapping Our World Using ArcGIS Online
Module 7, Lesson 2: Answer sheet

Q20) Is this a pattern you expected to find? Why or why not? No it is not. I
expected heavy amounts of rainfall towards the center of the storm
and taper off as it goes out.
Q21) What is the highest range of rainfall in the Rain4 layer? 24-29 in
Q22) Which country received the majority of this heavy rain? Nicaragua
Q23) Describe the difference between the rainfall patterns on October 30
(Rain4 layer) and October 31 (Rain5 layer). The rain is heavily
concentrated in Nicaragua and approx. 110 miles out into the Pacific
Ocean. Some moderate rain in mid-Honduras, near Belize, and off
the coast of Honduras and Nicaragua on the opposite side. The
rainfall then concentrates primarily in the heavy spot from Rain4
layer; however, much lighter only giving some areas 12-17 inches.
Its beginning to shrink and diminish.

Q24) Estimated Damage Assessment: Look over the data you have
collected and assess where you think most of the damage occurred
in Central America during Hurricane Mitch. What kind of damage do
you expect to find with this type of storm? What regions will be
most affected? What aspects of the region (industrialization, land
use, transportation, etc.) will be most affected? Use the table in Q1
as a resource.
I think the most damage occurred in Nicaragua along with parts of
Honduras and El Salvador as these are the areas that received
heavy rainfall. Also, the eastern coast of these countries along with
Belize may have experienced some damage due to the high winds. I
would expect to find lots of water damage along with wind damage,
such as, broken trees, signs, windows, and blown over cars and
other ungrounded items. Regions with heavily populated areas and
low valleys would be susceptible to lots of damage due to flooding.
Also, regions near coastlines would receive ample amounts of water
and wind. Transportation throughout El Salvador, Honduras, and
Nicaragua would be heavily damaged. There are more airports in
the southern regions; however, many would be shut down and
unusable in the central and northern regions. El Salvadors land use
becomes ineffective due to flooding of crop lands and high winds
damaging crops. Transportation in general, be it by air, car, or train,
would be extremely limited if not completely shut down everywhere.
Mapping Our World Using ArcGIS Online
Module 7, Lesson 2: Answer sheet

You might also like