About 48 hours later, the storm strengthened and became a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. Monthly Weather Review 1928 Hurricane Season [18] The Alba, Billows, New Palm Beach, and Royal Daneli hotels all suffered water damage, while the Alba Hotel was also deroofed. A sloop traversing from Ambergris Caye to Grand Turk was lost, killing all 18 people on board. The Okeechobee hurricane, also known as San Felipe Segundo hurricane, was the second deadliest tropical cyclone in the history of the United States, behind only the 1900 Galveston hurricane.The fourth tropical cyclone, third hurricane, and only major hurricane of the 1928 season, this system developed just offshore the west coast of Africa on September 6. [2], Strong winds struck southern Florida as the hurricane moved ashore, with three unofficial reports of 100 mph (161 km/h). Very strong winds resulted in severe damage in Puerto Rico; 24,728 homes were destroyed and 192,444 were damaged throughout the island, leaving over 500,000 people homeless. The system weakened significantly while crossing Florida, falling to Category 1 intensity late on September 17. According to some estimates of the day, excluding personal losses, the damages reached $85.312 million and more than 500,000 people were left homeless. [18] Likewise, there was also severe wind damage in Palm Beach. It made landfall at Point-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe as a major hurricane that same day. Nearly every building on the island of Guadeloupe was destroyed and 600-1,200 fatalities were a result of the hurricane. Get other interesting facts about Lake Okeechobee below: Facts about Lake Okeechobee 1: the counties. [21] Approximately 600 structures, including 10 hotels, were damaged in Palm Beach. However, the gardens of the three hotels were "damaged almost beyond recognition". The hurricane landed in Guadeloupe on September 12, 1928 as a Category 4 hurricane, killing 1,200. [40] The storm caused flooding in North Carolina and brought near-hurricane-force winds and a 7 foot (2.1 m) storm surge to the Norfolk area. The most recent Okeechobee County, FL hurricane was Arthur in 2014. [23] On Ritta Island, a number of persons who had successfully climbed to the roof of their houses to escape floodwaters were struck by trees or received fatal bites from water moccasins. This hurricane caused heavy casualties and extensive destruction along its path from the Leeward Islands to Florida. Approximately 6% of oranges and 18% of grapefruit were ruined, respectively. Mar-a-Lago suffered few effects other than uprooted trees and the destruction of a large Roman-style window, according to Marjorie Merriweather Post. It caused over 3,000 people to become deceased and caused $338 Million dollars in damages over the course of it's path. [41] After the hurricane became extratropical, its wind field became very large. The Okeechobee Hurricane Of 1928 or else called Hurricane San Felipe Segundo was one of the most deadliest hurricanes ever to struck the south. The storm continued through the Bahamas as a strong Category 4 hurricane, passing near Nassau at 10:00 UTC on September 16. 1,836 people died … In the summer of 1928, heavy rainfall raised Lake Okeechobee’s water level three feet above normal. A number of three-story business buildings collapsed during the storm. This was based on a pressure reading of 929 mbar (27.4 inHg) in the city,[1] which at the time was the lowest pressure reading in the mainland United States; this broke the previous record of 935 mbar (27.6 inHg) set during the 1926 Miami hurricane. Older sources usually list 3,411 as the hurricane's total count of fatalities, including the Caribbean. Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms. The storm should have been a dire warning for others living in low land, but by the end of the year the attitude was that, "the 1926 hurricane season was relegated to the past. On September 15, it passed within 35 mi (56 km) of Grand Turk, by which time the winds increased to 155 mph (249 km/h). About six hours later, the system made landfall in Puerto Rico; it remains the only tropical cyclone on record to strike the island at Category 5 intensity. [48][49], In the aftermath of the hurricane in coastal Florida, observers noted that well-constructed buildings with shutters had suffered practically no damage from winds that caused serious structural problems to lesser buildings. The lowest pressure north of Lake Okeechobee was 966 mbar (28.54 inHg) in Bartow, and along the west coast, winds reached 31 mph (50 km/h) in Tampa. In Bartow, business building windows were shattered and signs were knocked down, while several roofs and chimneys also suffered damage. A house that was full of people floated about half a mile (0.8 km) from its original location. Okeechobee (US: / oʊ k i ˈ tʃ oʊ b i /) is a city in Okeechobee County, Florida, United States.As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 5,621, reflecting an increase of 245 (+4.6%) from the 5,376 counted in the 2000 Census.It is the county seat of Okeechobee County. 56, No. However, lack of observations for several days prevented the system from being classified in real time as it moved generally westward across the Atlantic Ocean. [26], In Fort Myers, property damage was slight, limited mostly to scores of small boats and fishing shacks along the waterfront. The hurricane had already wreaked havoc across the Caribbean, most notably on the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas. [1], After emerging from Puerto Rico, the hurricane had weakened to winds of about 140 mph (230 km/h), based on a pressure reading of 941 mbar (27.8 inHg) at Isabela. The advisory was sent via telegraph to 75 police districts and was broadcast from the naval radio station every two hours;[11] this was the first hurricane warning broadcast by radio. Early on the following day, the system weakened to a tropical storm and became an extratropical cyclone over North Carolina hours later. It covers 1,900 km square or 730 square miles of area. Emanuel, Kerry A. Divine Wind. [2] In Georgia, low-lying streets were flooded or washed out in the Savannah area. Saint Kitts and Nevis also suffered heavily. However, brick and concrete dwellings suffered little damage. [6], While the hurricane was moving through the Bahamas, the Weather Bureau issued storm warnings from Miami to Titusville, later upgrading to a hurricane warning from Miami to Daytona Beach. The storm should have been a dire warning for others living in low land, but by the end of the year the attitude was that, "the 1926 hurricane season was relegated to the past. A warehouse, fish houses, docks, and a bridge across the Indian River were destroyed, while several other buildings were unroofed. The next day, a ship reported winds of 60 mph (95 km/h), or tropical storm status; on this basis, the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project estimated that the system attained tropical storm status late on September 6. Others who survived were swept far away from the original sites of the building and the barge. 1,836 people died … [18], In Miami, damage was minimal, limited to broken windows and awnings. An estimated 2,500 Floridians lost their lives as a result of the Okeechobee Hurricane in 1928. In all, between 2,500 and 3,000 people died making this hurricane the second deadliest hurricane in U.S. History after the 1900 Galveston Hurricane. Food crops were nearly wiped out. [2] As in Puerto Rico, authorities in the Bahamas had ample warning of the hurricane's approach, and preparations minimized the loss of life in the islands. 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