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| Hurricane Mitch was the most destructive hurricane to hit Honduras in recorded history. Arriving on Honduran shores in the last week of October, 1998, Hurricane Mitch was extremely slow moving. It sat over the country for days, dumping as much as six feet of rain in some places. 85% of Honduras is mountains; many of the homes, businesses, and agricultural activities that took place on these mountains were washed away in devastating landslides. Tegucigalpa, the capital city, lost an estimated 24% of its businesses and its slums were especially hard hit. According to government statistics, 6,600 people lost their lives during hurricane Mitch, over 100 bridges were damaged or destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of people were made temporarily or permanently homeless (in a country of approximately 6 million people). |
| Edgardo Reyes, who the was president of the Miramesi community, kneels on the foundation of his home two days after it was destroyed by hurricane Mitch. Edgardo and his family would be leaders in the development of the Villa Linda Miller community. |
| This photo, taken the week after Hurricane Mitch in November, 1998, shows the devastation wrought in Tegucigalpa's marketplace. The sprawling outdoor market was devastated when the Choluteca river flooded into it during the hurricane. |
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