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El Salvador - GFDRR

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30 | <strong>El</strong> <strong>Salvador</strong>: Damage, Loss, and Needs Assesment<br />

The November 2009 disaster is not an isolated event in the country; <strong>El</strong> <strong>Salvador</strong> has a very long history<br />

of disasters dating from the colonial era. Considering only the most recent years, one can see how<br />

these new damages and losses are added to a list of events that have been duly evaluated through the<br />

use of a common methodology, making it possible to compare their effects and magnitudes. This event,<br />

of hydro-meteorological origin, may be compared to disasters that occurred in the past three decades.<br />

The amount of its effects is lower than those caused by Hurricanes Mitch in 1998 and Stan in 2005, as<br />

well as by floods and landslides in 1982, and greater than the effects of the regional drought that took<br />

place in 2001. It certainly represents a fraction of the damages and losses caused by the 1986 and 2001<br />

earthquakes (see Table 10). Nevertheless, its magnitude is not negligible, especially when its impacts at<br />

departmental and local levels are measured. Furthermore, this again shows the need to address the issue<br />

of disaster risk management more effectively than in the past, due to the worsening of conditions resulting<br />

from the vulnerability of the most affected areas in the country’s central zone.<br />

TABLE 10. COMPARISON OF THE IMPACT OF RECENT DISASTERS IN THE COUNTRY<br />

US$ millions adjusted for inflation<br />

Disaster<br />

Year Damages Losses Total<br />

Floods 1982 218.1 67.6 285.7<br />

San <strong>Salvador</strong> Earthquake 1986 1,351.3 429.8 1,781.2<br />

Hurricane Mitch 1998 219.9 283.8 503.7<br />

Earthquakes 2001 1,137.6 805.8 1,9435<br />

Drought 2001 - 38.1 38.1<br />

Hurricane Stan 2005 177.4 217.4 394.8<br />

Tropical Storm Ida 2009 210.7 104.12 314.84<br />

Source: CEPAL.<br />

In addition to the above considerations and conclusions, the post-analysis of the disaster’s impact<br />

on the economy’s overall evolution at the national level and on employment and income at family and<br />

personal levels will make it possible to estimate the consequences of the disaster on the country, its departments<br />

and municipalities. It is important to highlight the fact that, although this was not a disaster of<br />

great magnitude, the figures presented above are sufficient to state that this event has halted the efforts<br />

made by the country to achieve development and reduce the poverty and vulnerability of the population,<br />

and make evident the enormous need to support these efforts in the future.

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