Matthew’s ravages

Central America experienced its most intense rainy season in 60 years this September as Tropical Storm Matthew swept in from the Caribbean.

Gales left five people dead in Haiti. Flooding creeks and rivers in Honduras killed four, and storm winds and rain in Honduras as well as Nicaragua, Belize and Guatemala flooded crops and damaged homes, bridges and roads.

In Mexico, the rains added to flooding and damage from the previous storm, Karl; mudslides in Oaxaca and Chiapas states killed at least 30. In Colombia, a landslide northwest of Bogota left 30 people buried, while flooding killed seven more in Venezuela.