The 2024 hurricane season was expected to be “impactful,” with a possibility to beat the record for the number of named storms in a single season.
However, one hurricane stands above the others as the deadliest in Florida history — the Okeechobee Hurricane in September 1928.
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According to the National Weather Service, only around 50,000 people lived in South Florida at the time, with many people staying clear of the region thanks to another devastating hurricane two years prior.
The Okeechobee Hurricane formed off the coast of Africa early that month, sweeping through the Atlantic before wreaking havoc in the Caribbean. More than 300 died in Puerto Rico, serving as an omen of what was coming to Florida.
On the evening of Sept. 17, the storm made landfall in Palm Beach County as a Category 4 hurricane.
The damage was especially severe near Jupiter, as the eye wall of the hurricane stuck around longer than at any other location, and the town was caught up in the “dirty side” of the storm.
[RELATED: This is what the ‘dirty side’ of a storm means]
As such, storm surge around 10 feet high — along with waves reaching up to 20 feet tall — carried through the barrier islands, including Palm Beach.
The recorded wind pressure placed the storm as the fourth-strongest hurricane to ever hit the U.S. but the worst was yet to come.
The hurricane continued northwest toward Lake Okeechobee, causing the lake to surge 6-9 feet. This sparked major flooding that swallowed the surrounding area, according to the National Hurricane Center.
“The effect of the flood was devastating, and the loss of life, both human and animal, was apocalyptic...” writes Lawrence Will, who witnessed the hurricane firsthand. “The flood waters lasted for several weeks, and survivors were found wandering as late as September 22.”
Afterward, the hurricane curved northward, eventually leaving the state off the coast near Jacksonville as a Category 1 Hurricane.
It then trailed along the U.S. Southeast Coast before downgrading further to a tropical storm upon reaching South Carolina.
The storm ultimately fizzled out near the Great Lakes after merging with a non-tropical low front just a few days later.
In all, the NHC reports that at least 1,836 people died in Florida due to the hurricane, mainly from the lake surge near Lake Okeechobee.
Meanwhile, property damage from the storm in Florida was estimated at $25 million.
Since the Okeechobee Hurricane, the Herbert Hoover Dike was installed at Lake Okeechobee, which reaches around 30 feet high to protect from similar flooding in the future.
In addition, historical markers were placed at West Palm Beach, Port Mayaca and Belle Glade in memory of the victims.
To stay up-to-date with the latest hurricane season or for more information, visit ClickOrlando’s Hurricane page by clicking here.
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