80 years ago tonight...

[MiamiensisWx]

On September 16, 1928, one of the most overlooked natural disasters made landfall in Palm Beach County, Florida less than 20 miles from my residence. It has been several years since I previously made an excursion to Belle Glade and the southeastern shoreline of Lake Okeechobee, but this hurricane (and the September 18, 1926 storm) are heavily ingrained in the "lore" of the region. The impacts from each disastrous event varied per region: on the southeastern and northern shore, 1928 recollections are common; on the southwestern shore near Moore Haven, 1926 is the "big one." There is a mass grave site in West Palm Beach that was only recently refurbished to commemorate the 1928 victims.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/storm/content/local_news/epaper/2008/09/16/0916graves.html

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/storm/content/local_news/epaper/2008/09/15/0915_storm_park.html

Here is an excellent overview and summary of the 1928 Palm Beach/Okeechobee storm:

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mfl/events/?id=1928okeechobee

One of the most unsettling aspects of the 1928 event is the fact that the impact on the Lake Okeechobee region was largely undocumented. In fact, many victims were never recovered, excluding the accidental excavations that uncovered the bones many decades after the event. When this consideration is combined with the horrendous death toll, it's always been very foreboding and chilling to me. Regardless of the exact number of deaths, it was "bad enough" (like 1926) indeed. Ike's surge (like the other Gulf TCs) only reinforces my memory of another big surge event in an "unexpected" location.

[Category 5]

IMO the most overlooked Hurricane in history. I don't think people realize the horrifying reality of this storm. Absolutely unimaginable.

[Frank2]

I sometimes make the right turn from SR 84 and will drive up US 27 for 28 miles until reaching South Bay, and, if I stop at John Stretch Park west of town, you can actually climb the levee and look out over the Lake...

I use the local landmarks for a reference when driving north on US 27 - the sugar mill power plant (Okeelanta) can be seen for miles, then, "the brown house" (I was glad to see it didn't fall down during Wilma), after that, the Church of All Nations (their pastor is a very nice man who's been preaching there for decades) and then the South Bay water tower to know I've reached the city limits (make sure you slow to 35 mph)...

It's not exactly the most visited place in Florida, in fact, South Bay unfortunately is a true reflection of rural poverty (as it was in 1928), but, it's a brief view of "the other Florida", as Tallahassee says, and, once you reach the park (halfway between South Bay and Clewiston), the view from the top of the levee is nice and it gives you an idea of what those folks back then had to endure during the hurricane...

http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/sfoo/rec/ ... allery.htm

The levee is nearing 80 now, and, that's one reason the SFWMD and the Army Corps of Engineers need to keep the Lake at or below a certain level (I just wish they wouldn't get carried away with the amount of water released)...

If the Lake water gets too high and the levee failed on that side, all of South Bay and Clewiston would be in danger as it was in 1928, for certain, since the water naturally flows towards the southwest...

However, unknown to many outside the area, South Bay and Clewiston may soon become extinct, if the State purchase of US Sugar lands does become finalized in November, "paving" the way for this land to become Everglades once again, however, many of the local residents, some living in that area since the days before the flood, are trying to make sure the community continues after "Big Sugar" leaves the area...

Frank

[Ptarmigan]

The 1928 Lake Okeechobee is one of the worst hurricanes to strike the US after the 1900 Galveston Hurricane and prior to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. At least 2,500 people died and it was a Category 5 hurricane when it affected Puerto Rico. More than 4,000 people died in this monster hurricane. After the 1928 hurricane, there was no American disaster with this many dead until September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, Arlington, and Shanksville which claimed 3,000 lives.

[HurricaneBill]

In the Caribbean, this hurricane is known as the San Felipe Hurricane.

Deaths from the San Felipe/Okeechobee Hurricane:

Martinique: 3
Guadeloupe: 1200
Montserrat: 42
Nevis: 3
Puerto Rico: 312
Bahamas: 18
Florida: 2500

Total: 4078

[MiamiensisWx]

Video:

http://newflorida.org/storm/video/history/storm28.asx