The Weather Network

September 16, 1928 - The Hurricane of Lake Okeechobee

Randi MannDigital Reporter
Published on Sep. 16, 2020, 9:05 AM

Lake Okeechobee completely flooded, washing out hundreds of square kilometres of land with 20 feet of water.

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On September 16, 1928, the Okeechobee Hurricane made landfall in Palm Beach, Florida. The storm killed 4,000 people, including 2,500 Floridians.

The storm made its way through Guadeloupe, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. On September 13, the storm killed 300 people in Puerto Rico. This catastrophe should have warned Florida about the intensity of the hurricane, but the young city of Palm Beach was ill-prepared.

The City of Palm Beach was founded in 1894 and incorporated in 1911. The city was established as a place for the rich and famous.

On September 14 and 15th, the Okeechobee Hurricane ripped through The Bahamas and did not lose steam as it crashed into Palm Beach the next day.

Learn more about this devastation and the history of some of the worst Atlantic storms on this episode of "The Day In Weather History'.

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"This Day In Weather History” is a daily podcast by The Weather Network that features unique and informative stories from host Chris Mei.