History of the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane

Okeechobee Hurricane and the Hoover Dike

The Okeechobee Hurricane or (in Puerto Rico) Hurricane San Felipe Segundo, occurred in September of 1928. The hurricane made landfall in the Leeward Islands, Guadaloupe, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and the state of Florida. The Okeechobee Hurricane was at different times a Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricane as it made its destructive path through these locations. The damage caused by this hurricane was, at the time, estimated to be one hundred million dollars. By today's standards that would be equal to one billion dollars. A total of 4,078 people or more perished as a direct result of the storm.

The Okeechobee Hurricane was first spotted 900 miles east of Guadaloupe on September 10, 1928. Two days later, on September 12, the hurricane struck the island chain as a Category 3. The storm caused around 1,200 deaths in Gualdaloupe and major property damage. The hurricane then hit the Leeward Islands causing 45 deaths. The damage to crops and property was extensive.  Read more of this article.  Image Source