Hurricane Mitch was the most powerful storm of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Mitch was one of the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. Mitch was the second deadliest Atlantic hurricane because it killed 11,000-18,000 in Central America and Mexico, it is second only to the Great Hurricane of 1780. Mitch also caused over $5 billion in damage. Because the damage and deaths were very high, the name "Mitch" was retired and will never be used for a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean again. It was in 1998 and hit Florida, Central America, and the Yucatán Peninsula.