|
In the early 1920s, Miami, Florida was the fastest growing city in the United States. The boom that put Miami on the map so rapidly would quickly turn to bust during September of 1926. On September 11, 1926, ships notified the U.S. Weather Bureau that a hurricane existed about 1600 km (1000 mi) east of the Leeward Islands. It passed by Puerto Rico on 15 September and then continued onto the Turks and Caicos, which it battered with 241 km/h (150 mph) winds. On 17 September, the hurricane traveled through the Bahamas, still packing winds of 241 km/h (150 mph). Initial reports from the U.S. Weather Bureau told Floridians that the storm would not hit their state, which was believable as the skies over Miami were clear and the seas were calm. The residents of south Florida were largely unaware of the natural disaster that would affect their state until forecasters issued a hurricane warning just before the powerful storm made landfall early on 18 September.
As the Category 4 hurricane made landfall in Florida, the eye passed directly over the city of Miami. With the passage of the eye, hurricane-force winds ceased after dawn and people thought the storm was over. Residents, many of which were new to the region due to the 1920’s land boom, left their places of refuge and crowded the city streets. Unaware that they were experiencing the relative calm associated with the hurricane’s eye, people were caught by surprise when conditions rapidly degraded again and became just as harsh if not more intense than earlier in the morning. Those who were outside became victim to flying debris and heavy rainfall. A 3 m (10 ft) storm surge inundated Miami Beach and other barrier islands- at the height of the storm surge, waters extended all the way across Miami Beach and Biscayne Bay into the City of Miami for several city blocks. Others who tried to escape Miami Beach when conditions had weakened were caught driving over the causeway as conditions worsened, and perished. Due to the residents’ misinterpretation of the lull in hurricane conditions, the majority of deaths associated with the hurricane occurred after its eye had passed over the city. Devastation throughout Miami was clearly evident after the hurricane. Boats of all sizes were brought onto the city streets. The waterfront was flooded under 0.9-1.5 m (3-5 ft) of water. Many buildings were completely destroyed, others lost their roofs, and many of Miami’s prestigious oceanfront hotels were filled with sand. The rising waters of Lake Okeechobee flooded communities on its southern shores, most notably the town of Moore Haven, where a several hundred people drowned after a weakened muck dike, which had been constructed to protect Moore Haven, broke in several places. Total casualties from the hurricane are estimated at 373. Total damages from the hurricane were estimated to be $105 million (1926 USD). This equates to over $1.2 billion in current dollars (2010 USD). Due to the tremendous pace of growth in this vulnerable hurricane area (Miami is the 4th-largest urbanized area in the United States, behind New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago), if a hurricane of parallel force were to strike the same region today, damage would be catastrophic. It is estimated that current losses resulting from such a storm could amount to as much as $157 billion (2005 USD), which would make a hurricane of that nature the most expensive Atlantic hurricane of all time. In the early 1920s, Miami, Florida was the fastest growing city in the United States. The boom that put Miami on the map so rapidly would quickly turn to bust during September of 1926. On September 11, 1926, ships notified the U.S. Weather Bureau that a hurricane existed about 1600 km (1000 mi) east of the Leeward Islands. It passed by Puerto Rico on 15 September and then continued onto the Turks and Caicos, which it battered with 241 km/h (150 mph) winds. On 17 September, the hurricane traveled through the Bahamas, still packing winds of 241 km/h (150 mph). Initial reports from the U.S. Weather Bureau told Floridians that the storm would not hit their state, which was believable as the skies over Miami were clear and the seas were calm. The residents of south Florida were largely unaware of the natural disaster that would affect their state until forecasters issued a hurricane warning just before the powerful storm made landfall early on 18 September. As the Category 4 hurricane made landfall in Florida, the eye passed directly over the city of Miami. With the passage of the eye, hurricane-force winds ceased after dawn and people thought the storm was over. Residents, many of which were new to the region due to the 1920’s land boom, left their places of refuge and crowded the city streets. Unaware that they were experiencing the relative calm associated with the hurricane’s eye, people were caught by surprise when conditions rapidly degraded again and became just as harsh if not more intense than earlier in the morning. Those who were outside became victim to flying debris and heavy rainfall. A 3 m (10 ft) storm surge inundated Miami Beach and other barrier islands- at the height of the storm surge, waters extended all the way across Miami Beach and Biscayne Bay into the City of Miami for several city blocks. Others who tried to escape Miami Beach when conditions had weakened were caught driving over the causeway as conditions worsened, and perished. Due to the residents’ misinterpretation of the lull in hurricane conditions, the majority of deaths associated with the hurricane occurred after its eye had passed over the city. Devastation throughout Miami was clearly evident after the hurricane. Boats of all sizes were brought onto the city streets. The waterfront was flooded under 0.9-1.5 m (3-5 ft) of water. Many buildings were completely destroyed, others lost their roofs, and many of Miami’s prestigious oceanfront hotels were filled with sand. The rising waters of Lake Okeechobee flooded communities on its southern shores, most notably the town of Moore Haven, where a several hundred people drowned after a weakened muck dike, which had been constructed to protect Moore Haven, broke in several places. Total casualties from the hurricane are estimated at 373. Total damages from the hurricane were estimated to be $105 million (1926 USD). This equates to over $1.2 billion in current dollars (2010 USD). Due to the tremendous pace of growth in this vulnerable hurricane area (Miami is the 4th-largest urbanized area in the United States, behind New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago), if a hurricane of parallel force were to strike the same region today, damage would be catastrophic. It is estimated that current losses resulting from such a storm could amount to as much as $157 billion (2005 USD), which would make a hurricane of that nature the most expensive Atlantic hurricane of all time. Fast Facts:
Sources:
Monthly Weather Review- 1926 Hurricane Season NOAA Hurricane History http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/history.shtml#miami26 NWS- Miami South Florida Office PBS- The Hurricane of 1926 Pielke, Roger A., Jr.; et al. (2008). "Normalized Hurricane Damage in the United States: 1900–2005" (PDF). Natural Hazards Review 9 (1): 29–4 Pfost, Russell, 2003: Reassessing the Impact of Two Historical Florida Hurricanes. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 84, 1367-1372. Barnes, Jay. Florida’s Hurricane History. Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 1998. Pp. 111-126. Emanuel, Kerry A. Divine Wind. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Pp. 104-107. Memorial Web Page for the 1926 Great Miami Hurricane. National Hurricane Center. 2009. Web. 1926 Miami Hurricane. Wikipedia. 2009. Web. |
|
 |
 |
 |
Please address comments and questions to hurricane@etal.uri.edu
