Which hurricane killed over 11,000 people in Central America in 1998?

Hurricane Mitch killed over 11,000 people in Central America in 1998. The storm caused 11,374 confirmed deaths, making it the deadliest hurricane in Central American history and the second-deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record.

Mitch formed in the western Caribbean Sea on October 22, 1998, and rapidly strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane. Although it weakened before striking Honduras on October 29, its slow movement across Central America produced catastrophic rainfall, flooding, and mudslides. Honduras and Nicaragua suffered the greatest losses.

The storm’s death toll came mainly from water and landslides rather than direct wind damage. More than 11,000 additional people were reported missing by the end of 1998, so the ultimate number of victims remains uncertain. Hurricane Fifi, which killed an estimated 8,000–10,000 people in 1974, is the common regional mix-up; Mitch surpassed it. Mitch also left roughly 2.7 million people homeless and caused billions of dollars in damage.