Hurricane Mitch (1998)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

October 22, 1998 to November 9, 1998

Peak strength

Category 5, 155 kt (178 mph)

Lowest pressure

905 mb (26.72 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

35.9

Fastest the center moved

45 kt (52 mph)

Identifier

AL131998

Radar at KAMX as it neared land, Nov 5, 11:00 UTC

The sources count different things and are not added together.

Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.

NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.

Deaths

2 (2 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

85

Property damage

$55 million

Crop damage

$20 million

Events recorded

33 in 5 reports from 2 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

24 tropical storm, 6 tornado, 1 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 flood.

6 tornadoes recorded in the United States, strongest first.

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 91 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 11.20 inches (284 mm).

WPC’s storm rainfall file, 1900 to 2020, compiled by David Roth.

The strongest winds National Weather Service offices recorded with this storm. An estimated figure is a forecaster’s judgment from the damage, not an instrument reading.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

Coastal Flooding...High swells from Hurricane Mitch developed into large waves which breached the west end of Dauphin Island. Protective sand dune structures were severely eroded in late September in this area during Hurricane Georges. Overwash developed over roads and under raised structures. Among some of the roads which became impassable during the early morning hours were St. Stephens and St. Andrews.

Lower Mobile, Alabama · Flood · Oct 28, 06:10 UTC

A tornado moved ashore from the Straits of Florida into the middle Keys near mile marker 80. It travelled in a northeast direction crossing to the west side of U.S. 1. Damage occurred to the roof of a motel and to trees, fences and power lines.

Monroe, Florida · Tornado · Nov 4, 22:15 UTC

A multivortex tornado touched down just west of U.S. 1 near mile marker 100. The tornado moved north northeast at 30 mph passing across ten housing subdivision, mostly mobile home parks. It damaged about 600 structures, tore down utility lines, damaged vessels and destroyed a great deal of foliage. The tornado crossed to the east of U.S. 1 near the intersection of Highway 905, overturning a semi tractor trailer, and continue north northeast for about six miles damaging house roofs and foliage.

Monroe, Florida · Tornado · Nov 4, 22:55 UTC

• Tropical Storm AlexNorth Atlantic · 1998Tropical Storm45 kt · 1002 mb
• Hurricane BonnieNorth Atlantic · 1998Cat 3100 kt · 954 mb
• Tropical Storm CharleyNorth Atlantic · 1998Tropical Storm60 kt · 1000 mb
• Hurricane DanielleNorth Atlantic · 1998Cat 290 kt · 960 mb
• Hurricane EarlNorth Atlantic · 1998Cat 285 kt · 964 mb
• Tropical Storm FrancesNorth Atlantic · 1998Tropical Storm55 kt · 990 mb
• Hurricane GeorgesNorth Atlantic · 1998 · 827 deathsCat 4135 kt · 937 mb
• Tropical Storm HermineNorth Atlantic · 1998Tropical Storm40 kt · 999 mb
• Hurricane IvanNorth Atlantic · 1998Cat 180 kt · 975 mb
• Hurricane JeanneNorth Atlantic · 1998Cat 290 kt · 969 mb
• Hurricane KarlNorth Atlantic · 1998Cat 290 kt · 970 mb
• Hurricane LisaNorth Atlantic · 1998Cat 165 kt · 995 mb
• Hurricane NicoleNorth Atlantic · 1998Cat 175 kt · 979 mb

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

• Tropical cyclone report, National Hurricane Center
• Wikipedia article: Hurricane Mitch