Wikipedia:Today's featured article/October 5, 2015
Hurricane Gert was a large tropical cyclone that caused extensive flooding throughout Central America and Mexico in September 1993. It originated over the southwestern Caribbean Sea and briefly attained tropical storm strength before crossing Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Yucatán Peninsula. Once over warm water in the Bay of Campeche, Gert grew into a Category 2 hurricane and made landfall on the Gulf Coast of Mexico. The cyclone quickly weakened to a depression over the rugged terrain and eventually dissipated over the Pacific Ocean. Gert's broad wind circulation produced heavy rain across Central America, flooding property and crops. Although the highest winds occurred upon landfall in Mexico, the worst effects there were due to extreme rainfall of 31.41 inches (798 mm) over the mountains. Following the overflow of several rivers, expansive parts of the Huasteca region became submerged, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate. Roads across the affected countries were severely disrupted, and thousands became homeless. The disaster killed 116 people, left 16 missing, and caused $170 million in damage. (Full article...)