In West Palm Beach, one of the most severely affected coastal cities, a total of 1,711 houses were destroyed and 6,369 others suffered damage, which left about 2,100 families homeless. Additionally, 77 businesses were damaged and 19 businesses suffered destruction, including an ice plant, a dry cleaner, a mill works plant, and businesses adjacent to the Masonic Temple. In West Palm Beach, for example, real estates costs dropped 53 percent to $41.6 million (1930 USD) between 1929 and 1930 and further to only $18.2 million (1935 USD) by 1935. This photo shows houses submerged and boats pushed up on shore in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The 1909 Grand Isle hurricane caused the most damage in Louisiana and Mississippi and left 350 people dead. Will Biden ease the sky-high tension between the U.S. and China? A teenage boy was carried from the packinghouse to the Everglades Experiment Station in Belle Glade – a distance of about 8 mi (13 km). [82] Kelsey City, now known as Lake Park, was inflicted with similar impact. The site was designated a U.S. National Register of Historic Places and a historical marker was added in 2003 during the 75th anniversary of the hurricane. "[67] Only two buildings remained standing on the north side of the street between Dixie Highway and Olive Avenue, owning to the frail construction of the business buildings in that section of the city. [12] Dr. William J. Buck, likely the only doctor between Pahokee and Moore Haven and also president of the Belle Glade town council and the founder of the town's American Legion post, was skeptical of the Weather Bureau's predictions of the storm missing South Florida. Early on the following day, the system weakened to a tropical storm and became extratropical over North Carolina hours later. [36] At the Cloister Inn, windows were shattered and the roof was damaged. Thousands of Guard troops will remain in D.C. through mid-March, Larry King, veteran talk show host, has died at 87, 30-year secret reveals real killer just before start of murder trial, Arizona GOP censures Cindy McCain and Governor Ducey, The impeachment managers who will argue the case against Trump, Birx: Inauguration-related gatherings could be "superspreader", How Trump's second trial could be different from the first, House Republicans divided as some attempt to oust Liz Cheney, Firefighter's sign language Pledge was homage to late father, Biden signs orders to streamline stimulus checks, expand food stamps, Democrats weigh options to pass Biden's massive COVID relief bill, Biden unveils COVID strategy with slate of executive orders. In the latter, Police Chief Frank H. Matthews ordered a sunset-to-sunrise curfew, unless a person had a pass or permit signed by Matthews or his assistant, or if "an extreme emergency demands it". [37] At the Japanese community known as Yamato, several frame homes were demolished, while a store was severely damaged. [91] The first floor of the Belle Glade Hotel was also flooded, forcing the occupants up to the second floor. A garage, two labor cabins, and a five-room bungalow were demolished, as was a portion of the greenhouse. 2001 September 11th Terrorist Attacks - 2,977 Deaths. But inland, along Lake Okeechobee, few conceived the disaster that was brewing. September 28, 1928: Okeechobee Hurricane (Death toll: 2,500 minimum) Back in 1928, hurricane early warning systems weren’t even a pipe dream, which might explain what happened in Palm Beach County, Florida one fateful September day that year. [27] The structures not suffering any damage floated away. Damage in the city totaled about $150,000. Prior to the Wall Street Crash of 1929, several hotels in the area declared bankruptcy, attempted to find new investors, or changed names and management. [46] Approximately 50 businesses were wrecked and 200 others received damage – roughly 75% of buildings in the business district. Additionally, about 11,500 families would need to be "re-established". As a result, property values plummeted. [23] The building formerly used as a Weather Bureau Office was destroyed. The Southern Bell office in Delray Beach was nearly destroyed, causing workers to move the service center to a nearby building. Some boathouses were washed off their foundations and then smashed. [156], Due to racial segregation at the time, the coffins provided were used for the white victims, most of whom received a proper burial at Woodlawn Cemetery in West Palm Beach. One man was shot for refusing to do so. Unstoppable, it crossed over the coast, through West Palm Beach with winds racing up to 145 miles per hour. Browse Obituaries and Death Records in Okeechobee, Florida. [78] Although many railroad stations south of Kelsey City were damaged, train service was restored on the morning of September 17. ", while the Okeechobee News called Knight "a jackass". [88], Belle Glade suffered the most deaths of any city by far, with 611 fatalities confirmed. [167] The dike was expanded further after flooding during a series of intense hurricanes in the late 1940s, such as the 1947 Fort Lauderdale hurricane, as well as the passage of the Flood Control Act of 1948. Okeechobee has 14th COVID-19 related death. However, it was later repaired and has been listed as a U.S. National Register of Historic Places since 1981. Pensacola, Florida, pictured here, suffered the most damage. Brown himself admitted that he was actually assaulted with a meat cleaver in a restaurant. [17], Dr. W. A. Claxton, chief of the Miami Department of Public Welfare, requested antitoxin, typhoid serum, and at least 200 tetanus serums. However, the building was eventually pushed into a nearby canal. Many severely damaged buildings were declared "public menaces" and condemned for demolition, effective on October 23. The town was later abandoned. The Sea Islands hurricane killed at least 1,000 people when it struck Savannah, Georgia, with a powerful storm surge in August 1893. [157] After the burials were complete, then-Mayor of West Palm Beach Vincent Oaksmith proclaimed an hour of mourning on October 1 for those who died during the storm. The city later sold the property, which switched ownership over the years. [34] A report compiled by The Palm Beach Post on September 17 noted that "several others, mostly negroes, were killed",[40] but listed only one death for Delray Beach on September 18. [34] The Comeau Building, which has been listed as a National Register of Historic Place since 1996, suffered severe damage to its roof tiles; they were subsequently replaced. [68] The roof and equipment in The Palm Beach Post building were damaged after the chimney fell. The Great Okeechobee Hurricane was one of the greatest and deadliest hurricanes of the North Atlantic. [93] There, a sustained wind speed of 92 mph (148 km/h) was observed before the anemometer was destroyed. [65] The fire station also collapsed, though the fire bell remained intact. After that day, the Red Cross paid for the transportation of people who were destitute. [125] Offshore, the fishing smack Wallace A. McDonnell was beach near Piney Point, though all of the crew survived. The second deadliest storm was the Hurricane of Lake Okeechobee in 1928, with approximately 2,500 causalities. The Okeechobee Hurricane (1928) A brutal storm first hit Puerto Rico then Palm Springs, Fla., in September 1928. [104] In Fort Pierce, most of the impact was confined to the waterfront areas. Their skippers and crews painstakingly moved the ships into Lake Worth through an inlet. [39] In South Palm Beach, the Mirimar Inn was nearly destroyed. While crossing Florida, the system weakened significantly, falling to Category 1 intensity late on September 17. Credit: State Library and Archives of Florida. [61] Many of the buildings that collapsed were wooden-frame, while the few concrete-built structures remained standing. Several refurbishment projects occurred throughout the years. Damage negligible and confined almost entirely to Palm Beach section. The Okeechobee Flood Control District authorized to cooperate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in flood control undertakings. The 1906 Mississippi hurricane left 134 people dead after it hit Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida in September of that year. Camille was the second-most intense tropical cyclone on record to make landfall in the U.S. [148] In Delray Beach, a woman who completely lost her home, said she was given only "a few old pieces of clothes and a few cans of tomatoes and potted meat and a small can of milk for myself and kids." [63], Banyan Boulevard (then known as First Street), considered the auto row of West Palm Beach, was reduced to "a mass of debris. [147], Many chapters of the Red Cross in Florida took in refugees, donated goods and supplies, or otherwise provided assistance to storm victims, including the cities of Arcadia, Fort Myers, Haines City, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Sebring, St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Winter Haven, as well as Dade (today Miami-Dade), Indian River, Polk, St. Lucie, and Volusia counties. They attempted to evacuate, but the causeway was already inundated, forcing twenty-three people to seek refuge in a packinghouse. At the time, Agnes was the costliest hurricane to date. The region was pushed into economic turmoil even before the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the initial stages of the Great Depression. Along the east coast of Florida, the most severe damage was reported from Miami to Fort Pierce, particularly in Palm Beach County. [46] Three deaths occurred in Lake Worth, two from illnesses related to exposure to the storm;[53][54] the other was a man who suffered from apoplexy, blamed on excessive exertion in the aftermath of the hurricane. [119] Throughout Martin County, five deaths and about $4 million in damage occurred, primarily to citrus crops. [136] On September 19, Governor Martin summoned all Florida National Guard members to serve in other functions as well as patrolling against looting. Nearby, six people died after a house was demolished. [94], The city of Pahokee, mostly situated atop a ridge, resembled an island due to surrounding high water. [17], Looting became a serious issue in the aftermath of the storm, especially in Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. Early on September 17, the storm made landfall near West Palm Beach, Florida, as a Category 4 hurricane on the modern day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. [87] A house that was full of people floated about half a mile (0.8 km) from its original location. In the summer of 1928, heavy rainfall raised Lake Okeechobee’s water level three feet above normal. [133] In Miami, WQAM hosted a telethon on September 22, which also included live entertainment from a Shriners band at a park amphitheater. Between Sebring and Lake Wales, 200 telephone poles were toppled,[120] while 60 other telephone poles were knocked down. Celebrate and remember the lives we have lost in Okeechobee, Florida. [42] Eighteen businesses suffered complete destruction, while thirty-four others were damaged. It is the deadliest hurricane to strike the United States since the Palm Beach-Lake Okeechobee hurricane of September 1928. Only one home was left in its wake. [162], Because of the collapsing economic boom and the publicity surrounding the corrupt real estate deals, the severity of the disaster in Southeast Florida was downplayed. Numerous structures were swept away or destroyed, and at least 2,500 people drowned. However, Everglades News editor Howard Sharp noted that the death toll was "not understandable to the persons familiar with the region" and that "there is no 'village of Pelican Bay'". [27] There was severe damage totaling just under $13.8 million and eleven deaths,[27][69] with one from being fatally struck by debris. [110] In Chosen, only two people managed to escape a house that sheltered nineteen people. In modern-day South Florida, it is the 61 killed and the $26 billion destruction caused by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 that serve as the benchmark for how … [109], Floodwaters persisted for several weeks, greatly impeding attempts to clean up the devastation. A warehouse, fish houses, docks, and a bridge across the Indian River were destroyed, while several other buildings were unroofed. [17], The Red Cross was criticized for claims of skimping on aid given to some people and even racial discrimination. [59], In the week leading up to the hurricane, West Palm Beach observed 18.42 in (468 mm) of precipitation, at least 10 in (250 mm) of which fell during the storm. Winds at Canal Point, adjacent to the lake, were estimated as high as 160 mph (255 km/h); the anemometer blew away after reporting sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). The storm turned and crossed the Bahamas before smashing ashore at West Palm Beach, Florida on September 16-17, 1928. An eight year old boy drowned in a ditch near where his family sought refugee, while 51 additional people were injured throughout Broward County. During the storm, about 100 people ran to a trash incinerator, a concrete-reinforced building. [150] The claims of partiality were refuted by the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and Mary McLeod Bethune in a telegraph to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Damage totaled around $10 million. The land boom brought new construction and large population increases, with the number of residents in West Palm Beach quadrupling between 1920 and 1927. After the conclusion of the tour, Martin telegraphed every mayor in Florida to aid the victims of the storm and apologized for not issuing that appeal sooner. The county-level tracker makes it easy to follow COVID-19 cases on a granular level, as does the ability to break down infections per 100,000 people. 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