Mitch caused 11,374 fatalities in Central America in 1998, including approximately 7,000 in Honduras and 3,800 in Nicaragua due to cataclysmic flooding from the slow motion of the storm.

Mitch roved through Central America, regenerated in the Bay of Campeche, and ultimately impacted Florida as a strong tropical storm.

The president of Honduras, Carlos Roberto Flores, estimated that Mitch set back about 50 years of economic development.

Due to the slow motion from 29 October to 3 November, Hurricane Mitch dropped historic amounts of rainfall in Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, with unofficial reports of up to 75 inches (1,900 mm).

After becoming disorganized due to wind shear from an upper-level low, Mitch quickly intensified in response to extremely favorable conditions,[4] including warm waters and good outflow.

Initially, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and various tropical cyclone forecast models anticipated a turn to the north, threatening the Yucatán Peninsula.

[4] While over land, Mitch moved slowly westward through Central America, while continuing to produce deep convection over waters.

Mitch accelerated to the northeast ahead of a cold front, moving across the Yucatán peninsula and re-entering the Gulf of Mexico.

[4] Due to the threat, the government of Honduras evacuated some of the 45,000 citizens on the Bay Islands and prepared all air and naval resources.

[11] Guatemala issued a purple alert as well, recommending boats to stay in port, telling people to prepare or seek shelter, and warning of potential overflowing rivers.

[10] By the time hurricane Mitch made landfall, numerous people were evacuated along the western Caribbean coastline, including 100,000 in Honduras, 10,000 in Guatemala, and 20,000 in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.

Deaths were mostly from flooding and mudslides in Central America, where the slow-moving hurricane and then tropical storm dropped nearly 36 inches (900 mm) of rain.

[20] Two days of winds exceeding 200 km/h (125 mph) destroyed nearly all of the plants and trees on Guanaja, uprooting or knocking down almost the entire mangrove forest.

[23] There were unofficial rainfall totals in Central America as high as 1,900 mm (75 in); rain gauges in mountainous areas were washed away.

[24] In the country's interior, particularly the southern portion, the high rainfall caused hundreds of landslides, many of them shallow and about 95% in the form of debris flow.

[23] The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean estimated that Mitch caused the worst floods of the 20th century in the country.

[30] In all, Hurricane Mitch caused at least 3,800 fatalities in Nicaragua, of which more than 2,000 were killed in the towns of El Provenir and Rolando Rodriguez from the landslide at the Casita volcano.

[11] Due to Mitch's large circulation, it dropped heavy precipitation as far south as Panama and Colombia, especially in the Darién and Chiriquí provinces.

[11] While drifting through El Salvador, the hurricane dropped immense amounts of precipitation, resulting in flash flooding and mudslides through the country.

[15] Similar to the rest of Central America, Mitch's heavy rains caused mudslides and severe flooding over Guatemala.

The most severely affected crops for domestic consumption were tomatoes, bananas, corn, other vegetables, and beans, with damaged totaling to $48 million (1998 USD).

[32] In Mexico, Mitch produced gusty winds and heavy rains on the Yucatán Peninsula, with Cancún on the Quintana Roo coast being the worst hit.

The schooner, which was sailing near the center of the hurricane, experienced over 50 feet (15 m) waves and over 100 mph (160 km/h) winds, causing her to sink off the coast of Honduras.

[37] In Jamaica, where officials declared hurricane warnings 12 hours prior to its closest approach,[4] Mitch caused moderate rainfall and gusty winds for days.

A river in northeastern Jamaica overflowed its banks, while heavy rainfall across the mountainous parts of the country caused numerous mudslides.

Strong waves damaged or destroyed many docks on the south shore of the islands, and also sank one dive ship near Grand Cayman.

[44] Following the passage of Mitch, disease outbreaks occurred throughout Central America, including cholera, leptospirosis, and dengue fever.

However, the hurricane's upwelling cooled the warm water temperatures, preventing significant bleaching and destruction of the coral reef.

[46] Mitch caused such massive and widespread damage that Carlos Roberto Flores, the president of Honduras, claimed it destroyed fifty years of progress in the country.

[43] In addition, the country initially experienced a sharp increase in the unemployment rate, largely due to the destruction of crop lands.