In late October 2008 Hurricane Mitch slammed into Central America. Vulnerable communities and eroded landscapes suffered disastrous consequences as more than 10,000 people lost their lives. The worst single tragedy occurred when the heavy rains fell upon the Casita volcano’s deforested slopes, to produce a lahar consisting of mud, rocks and trees that sped down the steep slopes destroying more than 1,500 homes and killing an estimated 2,500 people including many living in the sleepy agricultural town of Posoltega (Gerulis-Darcy 2008).