How did Hurricane 1928 affect Lake Okeechobee?
Jan 08, 2022 · When did Lake Okeechobee overflow its banks? “Storm of 1928” pushes water from Lake Okeechobee. Several thousand people are drowning in the small farming towns that line the far south. Offshore winds from the lake cause leaks so deadly that the state forms the Okeechobee Drainage District to prevent future destruction.
What caused Lake Okeechobee to rise?
Apr 06, 2020 · What caused Lake Okeechobee to flood in 1928? The strong winds and heavy rainfall caused Lake Okeechobee to overflow. Belle Glade, Pahokee, South Bay, and other surrounding communities were flooded. Flooding and high winds killed more than 3,000 people in the Glades. Yet the survivors overcame the disaster and rebuilt their towns.
What was the size of the Lake Okeechobee flood?
In the summer of 1928, heavy rainfall raised Lake Okeechobee’s water level three feet above normal. And in the fall, a hurricane smashed the coast …
How many people died in Hurricane Okeechobee?
In West Palm Beach, 1,711 homes were destroyed and 6,363 more were damaged. The greatest devastation occurred, however, along the south shore of Lake Okeechobee. There, the 3 m (10 ft) surge washed over the lake’s 1.5-2.4 m (5-8 ft) dikes and flooded an area 120 km (75 mi) wide. At Belle Glade, one of the hardest hit areas, the floodwaters ...
Why does Lake Okeechobee flood?
After heavy rains in May drove up water levels in Lake Okeechobee, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began discharging water into rivers to the west and east of the lake.Jun 21, 2018
How did hurricane Okeechobee start?
When the hurricane roared ashore at Palm Beach September 16, 1928, many coastal residents were prepared. But inland, along Lake Okeechobee, few conceived the disaster that was brewing. The storm struck first in Puerto Rico, killing 1,000 people, then hit Florida with 125 mph winds.Sep 11, 1988
What was the significance of the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane?
The hurricane killed an estimated 2,500 people in the United States; most of the fatalities occurred in the state of Florida, particularly in Lake Okeechobee. It was the fourth tropical cyclone, third hurricane, and only major hurricane of the 1928 Atlantic hurricane season.
How many people died in Okeechobee hurricane?
2,500With a death toll of more than 2,500, the Okeechobee Hurricane is the second-deadliest hurricane in U.S. history, behind the 1900 Galveston Hurricane that killed more than 8,000 people.Sep 16, 2021
Can you swim in Lake Okeechobee?
Lake Okeechobee isn't a small lake, by any means. In fact, it's the second-largest freshwater lake in the States and is part of a 152-mile boating passage in the Sunshine State — giving you plenty of options for swimming, boating and fishing.Nov 4, 2021
What happens if Lake Okeechobee dike breaks?
But at high water levels, the dike remains a high-risk hazard for potentially devastating flooding. A major failure could send torrents through lakeside towns and muddy water to the suburban outskirts of Palm Beach County.Aug 16, 2013
How deep is the deepest part of Lake Okeechobee?
12′Lake Okeechobee / Max depthThe deepest spot in all of Lake Okeechobee is about 12 feet when the water level is average. Most of its area is shallow enough to wade, that is, if there weren't tens of thousands of alligators living there.Apr 27, 2020
When did Lake Okeechobee overflow?
1928“The Storm of 1928” pushes water out of Lake Okeechobee. Several thousand people drown in the small farming communities bordering its southern rim. Wind tides on the lake cause such deadly overflows that the state forms the Okeechobee Drainage District to prevent future destruction.
What state is Lake Okeechobee in?
FloridaLake Okeechobee, lake in southeastern Florida, U.S., and the third largest freshwater lake wholly within the country (after Lake Michigan and Iliamna Lake, Alaska). The lake lies about 40 miles (65 km) northwest of West Palm Beach at the northern edge of the Everglades.
How much did Okeechobee Hurricane cost?
Estimated damage cost: $32 million ($16 billion today)
Does Lake Okeechobee hurricane?
Hurricane of September, 1928. However, the greatest loss of life was around Lake Okeechobee. As the category 4 hurricane moved inland, the strong winds piled the water up at the south end of the lake, ultimately topping the levee and rushing out onto the fertile land.
What was the wind speed of Lake Okeechobee hurricane?
145 mphEffects of the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane in FloridaCategory 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)Surface weather analysis of the storm nearing Puerto RicoDurationSeptember 16–18, 1928Winds1-minute sustained: 145 mph (230 km/h)Pressure929 mbar (hPa); 27.43 inHg12 more rows
Where was the Okeechobee Hurricane?
A NOAA image of destruction that occurred in West Palm Beach, Florida during the Okeechobee Hurricane. In the background are houses that have been reduced to their most sturdy elements, while debris in the foreground is other destroyed homes. Source: NOAA.
Why was the Herbert Hoover Dike built?
As a result of this disaster, and also influenced by the Great Miami Hurricane e that affected Lake Okeechobee two years earlier, the Herbert Hoover Dike, and numerous other flood channels, were constructed to prevent similar devastation from reoccurring.
When did the hurricane hit Puerto Rico?
Fast Facts: The hurricane struck Puerto Rico on 13 September, which is the island’s celebrated feast day of Saint Philip. This is actually the second time a major hurricane had been documented to strike Puerto Rico on that date, the other being in 1876.
Overview
Effects
The hurricane moved directly over the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Sea, strengthening as it did so. On the island of Dominica, winds were clocked at 24 mph (39 km/h); there were no reports of damage, though one fatality occurred. In Martinique, further south of the storm's path, there were three fatalities. Guadeloupe received a direct hit from the storm, apparently with little warning…
Meteorological history
On September 6, ships reported a tropical depression developing just off the west coast of Africa near Dakar, Senegal. On the next day, a ship reported winds of 60 mph (97 km/h), or tropical storm status; on this basis, the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis projectestimated that the system attained tropical storm status late on September 6. However, lack of observations for several days pre…
Aftermath
In the immediate aftermath of the storm, relief arrived from nearby areas such as Miami. Early on September 18, a train leaving Miami carried 20 doctors and 20 nurses to West Palm Beach. The Miami Red CrossCitizens Relief Committee, which was established to provide aid for victims of the storm, transported "hundreds of loaves of bread, gallons of milk, pounds of coffee and sugar, blan…
Name
The storm was named the San Felipe II hurricane in Puerto Rico because the eye of the cyclone made landfall there on September 13, the Roman Catholic feast day of Saint Philip, father of Saint Eugenia of Rome. (King Philip II of Spain happened to die on this day.) It was named "Segundo", Spanish for "the Second", because of the weaker but destructive "San Felipe hurricane" that had struck Puerto Rico on that same day in 1876.
See also
• List of disasters in the United States by death toll
• Lists of Atlantic hurricanes
• List of Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes
• List of Florida hurricanes
External links
• Florida's Forgotten Hurricane
• NOAA Okeechobee Hurricane Memorial
• Footage of storm damage
• National Weather Service Memorial Web page