Hurricane Stan and Lake Atitlán

During the early-morning hours of October 5, 2005, the town of Panabaj was flooded in a landslide triggered by torrential rains associated with Hurricane Stan. Mud poured off the saturated slopes of the volcano that loomed over the village, burying people and buildings. According to one report, the flow was "four kilometers long and up to 12 meters deep in places" while another said it was a "half-mile wide mudflow as much as 15 to 20 feet thick." Streets were inundated with mud, keeping rescue workers from reaching the area for two days. Rescue work was discontinued later in the week. From Panabaj and Tzanchaj, rescuers recovered 160 bodies, while 250 remained missing from both towns. Relief provision was hampered by a large number of major natural disasters in 2005 in general and in particular by diversion of resources to deal with a severe earthquake in Pakistan that occurred just a few days after the mudslide. I was in the area when it happened but was unable to travel to the area for a few days, so we did all we could to transport goods to them in trucks and boats (I was on the other side of the lake). I chose the music because the lyrics contain things related to my thoughts at the time. I chose Spanish so that it's easier to listen to the news clips, and because it is the primary language in Guatemala.

» View the original video «

Google Video | June 23, 2007

Tags:. .said. .few. .easier. .missing. .general