The train was slammed by the storm surge soon after it reached islamorada. To this day its referred to as the great hurricane. Remembering the labor day hurricane of 1935 in the florida. The storm was more than just a regional tragedy because hundreds of unemployed veterans had been sent to the florida keys to work on construction projects and were. The true story of the 1935 labor day hurricane that hit. This storm is one of the strongest ever recorded and.
From jeff masters, meteorological director for the weather underground. Despite the misleading title, this is a quick, enjoyable read about the 1935 labor day hurricane, perhaps the most powerful in us history. The stronger winds on the hurricane s dangerous semicircle pile up water against the islands, he said. The ferocious labor day hurricane of 1935 on september 2, 1935, a hurricane with the strongest sustained winds ever to strike land hit the florida keysa place which counts among its earliest. Ernest hemingway lived in nearby key west and had to moor his boat, pilar, in a navy submarine pen to save it. The winds of the 1935 labor day hurricane may have reached 200 miles per hour at times more than enough to slice the roof and second story. With wind gusts estimated up to 225 miles per hour and a storm surge bringing waves as high as 20 feet ashore. The labor day hurricane of 1935 was the strongest tropical cyclone during the 1935 atlantic hurricane season. The true story of the 1935 labor day hurricane that hit the florida. How might cat 4 dorian compare to the great florida keys. The winds were so strong, it blew a train thirty feet off the tracks. The most powerful hurricane in united states history assaulted the florida keys in 1935, one of the darkest years of the great depression. I enjoyed the book for its background information on the keys themselves, background on weather prediction science in the early 20th century and the human interest stories that it tells about the victims of the hurricanes. Awardwinning author willie drye is working on a new edition of his first book, storm of the century.
Jade gathers all the facts about the storm and writes them up. The 1935 labor day hurricane, which hit the florida keys, was the strongest hurricane to. No, not katrina whose tenth anniversary was recently widely noted. I have no doubt that should such a tragedy happen, there will be investigations and allegations far exceeding those of 1935.
It was the most powerful hurricane to ever hit the u. It was the hurricane that hit the middle keys of florida 80 labor days ago on september 2, 1935 and since hurricanes back then had no names, it was known as the labor day hurricane. It was the most powerful hurricane to hit the united states. The season ran from june 1 through november 15, 1935. Speculation is that the 1935 category 5 labor day hurricane would have been narrower and about 60 miles farther south. This is an old documentary i found while researching the great labor day hurricane of 1935. The labor day hurricane of 1935 remains one of the most intense to strike americas shores. The roosevelt administration was making a genuine effort to help these downandout vets, many of. The strongest tropical cyclone of the 1935 atlantic hurricane season, which would prove to be the third most intense atlantic hurricane on record, had very. The storm formed east of the bahamas august 29th 1935 and dissipated september 10th, 1935 after passing over land south east of tallahassee florida.
The 1935 labor day hurricane the great bahamas hurricane of 1929. With winds surpassing 200 miles an hour and a storm surge topping 20 feet, the storm of the century killed more than 400 people in a twoday span, devastating. Page 6 this page by jerry wilkinson the 1935 hurricane the above is not the 1935 hurricane, but the category 4 hurricane andrew. This is a much weaker allen just before landfall in south texas in 1980, but thats comparably the large size throughout. Petersburg and tampa, center of the states cigar industry.
This book is a well written account of the 1935 labor day hurricane and the. Imho, sustained winds were 190 mph, and possibly higher. Striking at a time before storms were named, the catastrophic tropical cyclone became known as the 1935 labor day hurricane, and its aftermath was felt all the way to washington, d. The labor day hurricanes 200 mph winds and 20foot storm surge devastated the upper keys on september 2, 1935, killing more than 400 people, including about 260 world war i veterans living in beachfront work camps and working on a construction project. The 1935 labor day hurricane was the strongest storm at time of landfall in u. The labor day hurricane of 1935 unabridged willie drye. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. A hurricane in the straits is one of the worst situations that you can get on the florida keys, ivan tannehill, assistant chief of the u. Remembering the 1935 labor day hurricane seventy years later. It had sustained winds of 185 mph and a storm surge of 18 to 20. With wind gusts estimated up to 225 miles per hour and a.
On labor day, 1935 the florida keys were hit by a category 5 hurricane with 185 mph winds. Labor day hurricane of 1935 was a category 5 tempest that devastated the keys, producing a storm surge of up to 20 feet above sea level. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1. But when they underestimated an approaching hurricane, at least 250 luckless world war i vets died, caught in the path of the most intense hurricane that has ever struck the united states. This book is a well written account of the 1935 labor day hurricane and the personal experiences of those who went through the storm and the unbelievable horrors that followed. This miami herald video includes compelling photos from the labor day hurricane of 1935, as well as new interviews with everett albury and alma pinder dalton, who were 6 and 11 when the. The labor day hurricane of 1935 go a long way toward increasing our knowledge of this devastating storm. This came a few weeks after the worst dust storm and most intense rainfall on record. The story of the greatest bahamian hurricane of the twentieth century how to prepare for a hurricane or. The labor day hurricane of 1935 is as gripping as an adventure novel, and as important as any book. Comparing the two books, it is interesting to see how weather forecasting was still more of an art than a science 35 years after this nonfiction book dovetails nicely with erik larsons isaacs storm about the 1900 galveston hurricane. It held the distinction of being the only cat five storm to hit the united states coastline for 34 years until hurricane camille roared ashore in august, 1969.
Later henry day, 25, of homestead, a life rope about his waist, swam the current to the first bridge abutment and was about to start on the final lap when a small row boat, salvaged from the bottom of the creek and manned by two men, made the stream. Category 5 is a sobering reminder that even with modern meteorological tools and emergency management systems, a similar storm could cause even more death and destruction today. The 1935 labor day hurricane by thomas neil knowles. Most powerful hurricane to hit united states was labor day. The storm had no name and later became know as the 1935 labor day hurricane. About 400 veterans were left unprotected in flimsy work camps. Labor day hurricanes have an ugly history in florida.
The labor day hurricane of 1935 is as gripping as an adventure novel, and as important as any book about hurricanes on my bookshelf. The instant book, as the title states, is about the category 5 hurricane that decimated the lower keys in florida on labor day in 1935. This is probably related to the 1935 labor day hurricane that devastated the keys and south florida in 1935. From bryan norcross, former weather channel meteorologist and now hurricane specialist for wplgtv in miami. At the time, this storm was the most intense hurricane to affect the united states with a lowest pressure. Book was recommended to me by a keys tour guide as the best book on the 1935 labor day hurricane that struck the upper keys.
The 1935 labor day hurricane formally known as hurricane three was the most intense atlantic hurricane to make landfall on record in terms of pressure, and tied with hurricane dorian for the strongest landfalling atlantic hurricane by maximum sustained winds, with winds of 185 mph 295 kmh at landfall. The labor day hurricane of 1935 by willie drye is a history book wellworth reading on many levels, and one that will surely make you think of what may come. Weather bureaus forecasting division, said in 1935. The labor day hurricane that struck the florida keys on september 2, 1935, was the most powerful storm to ever hit the united states. The labor day hurricane of 1935 paperback july 1, 2003 by willie drye author.
The labor day hurricane of 1935 adventure press by drye, willie and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. With winds estimated at over 225 miles per hour, it was the first recorded category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the united states. The florida keys 1935 hurricane brutalized the area on labor day the 1935 hurricane was a disaster of incredible magnitude. The labor day hurricane of 1935, which ravaged the florida keys, was the most devastating hurricane to ever hit the u. In 1934, hundreds of jobless world war i veterans were sent to the remote florida keys to build a highway from miami to key west. This is a similar image to keep in mind as you continue. The great labor day storm, florida, 1935 400 to 600 dead one of only three category 5 hurricanes ever to hit the u. Jade and dad go to spring hill branch of the hernando county public library to research more about the 1935 labor day hurricane. The railroad connecting the keys to the mainland was destroyed.
In the keys at the time were hundreds of world war i veterans, sent to build bridges as part of roosevelts new deal program to provide governmentfunded work for those left destitute by the depression. The 1935 atlantic hurricane season included the labor day hurricane, the most intense tropical cyclone to ever strike the united states or any landmass in the atlantic basin. The great labor day hurricane of 1935 made landfall in the upper florida keys during the late evening hours of monday, september 2, 1935labor day. This is their story, with newly discovered photos and stories of some of the heroes of the labor day 1935 calamity. The ferocious labor day hurricane of 1935 durham, ct patch. The most powerful hurricane in united states history assaulted. Jade selects 2 videos about the storm and put them up on the website. Hurricane allen was a huge storm in size, and thus not very tightly packed, nowhere near the compact size of the 1935 labor day hurricane. The storm was more than just a regional tragedy because hundreds of unemployed veterans had been sent to the florida keys to work on construction projects and were directly in its path. Over 400 were killed and the railroad to key west was destroyed. Florida frontiers the labor day hurricane of september 2.
The labor day hurricane that struck the florida keys on september 2, 1935 is the most powerful storm to ever hit the united states. Only the 160ton locomotive was left upright on the tracks. Looking at the facts behind this storm, the labor day hurricane of 1935 was the first ever category five hurricane on record to hit the united states. Most hurricanes form in the atlantic either from tropical waves coming off the coast of west africa, or from disturbances in the caribbean or. The great labor day hurricane of 1935 was the most intense atlantic hurricane to make landfall on record in terms of pressure, and tied with hurricane dorian. The labor day hurricane of 1935, published by national geographic books in your book you tell the story of the great labor day hurricane of. This was a much more more powerful hurricane with a much higher death toll. The labor day hurricane of 1935, was published by national geographic books in august 2002. On labor day in 1935, a hurricane that produced the record low barometric pressure reading of 26.