Impact. Masters, Jeffrey. Later that day, they determined that Tropical Storm Camille had formed about 97 km (60 mi) west of Grand Cayman Island. The resulting mudslide ultimately covered an area 10 miles (16 km) long and 5 miles (8 km) wide. Prior to Mitch, the deadliest hurricane in Central America was Hurricane Fifi in 1974, which killed an estimated 8,000–10,000. In addition, after witnessing the vulnerability to hurricanes, the affected governments endeavored to prevent such a disaster from occurring again.

Over 70 percent of the transportation infrastructure was damaged, mostly damaged highways and bridges. [26] The flank of the Casita Volcano failed and turned into a lahar from excessive rain. The rainfall in outer rainbands, at times severe, flooded many roads across the island and left them covered with debris. Flooding caused major damage to crops, while landslides destroyed crop land across the country.

The name "Mitch" was retired, and will not be used for another Atlantic tropical cyclone. Total agricultural and livestock damaged amounted to $154 million (1998 USD). The President of Honduras estimated that Mitch set back 50 years of economic development. [25], Hurricane Mitch wrought significant damage to Honduras, affecting nearly the entire population and causing damage in all 18 departments. The tropical storm became a hurricane while located about 97 km (60 mi) south-southeast of Pinar del Rio, Cuba. [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. The flash floods and mudslides generated by Camille’s heavy rains caused $140 million (1969 USD) worth of damage in Virginia and took 153 lives. Accessed 21 Dec. 2009. [11] Honduras, the country most affected by the hurricane, received significant aid for the millions impacted by the hurricane. [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. [27] 340 schools and 90 health centers were severely damaged or destroyed. The rainfall totals were generally between 300-510 mm (12-20 in) across the two states, with the highest amount in the mountains of southwestern Virginia with totals over 660 mm (26 in) – the highest amount ever recorded in this state from a tropical cyclone as of 2001. On 14 August, hurricane hunters hurricane hunters set off to investigate two possible circulation centers associated with the system. Due to the slow motion from October 29 to November 3, Hurricane Mitch dropped historic amounts of rainfall in Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, with unofficial reports of up to 75 inches (1,900 mm). 2006. It executed a small loop, and while doing so intensified into Tropical Storm Mitch. [12], Hurricane Mitch was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane since the Great Hurricane of 1780, displacing the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 as the second-deadliest on record. Key West International Airport reported peak wind gusts of 55 mph (89 km/h) and sustained winds of 40 mph (64 km/h), the only report of tropical storm force in the state. Hurricane Camille's 30-ft surface isovels (knots) as it neared landfall near New Orleans on August 17, 1969 (Source: Environmental Services Service Administration (HUR 7-113A, 1970) Camille Makes Landfall at Waveland and Bay St. Louis, Louisiana. The government of Belize issued a purple alert and asked for citizens on offshore islands to leave for the mainland. [11] Tornadoes from the storm damaged or destroyed 645 houses across the state, in addition to injuring 65 people. [43] In addition, the country initially experienced a sharp increase in the unemployment rate, largely due to the destruction of crop lands.

Hydrometeorological Branch, HUR 7-113a, Rockville, Md., Mar. As the storm moved in a northwesterly motion through the western Caribbean, conditions were supportive of strengthening, and a rapid drop in pressure occurred (42 mb in less than 24 hours). Atlas HA-395-408, U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C., 1969. On 18 August, Hurricane Camille made landfall on Mississippi between Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian as an incredibly powerful hurricane. A 7.5 m (24.6 ft) storm surge inundated 860,000 acres of land in Louisiana and overtopped seawalls along the Mississippi shore, pushing water three to four blocks inland along the state’s entire coast.