Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
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The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 was a very compact and destructive hurricane that caused widespread destruction in the Florida Keys. It was one of only three Category 5 hurricanes to strike the United States in the 20th century.
The storm formed east of the Bahamas in late August and traveled due west through the islands. It then began a gentle turn to the northwest and headed straight for the Florida Keys. Winds in this hurricane were estimated to be approximately 200 mph (320 km/h) at maximum, and the central pressure was unofficially measured as low as 26.35 inches of mercury (892 hPa). This was the record low pressure for the Western Hemisphere until it was surpassed by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.
The only transportation linking the Florida Keys to mainland Florida was a single railroad line, the Overseas Railway portion of the Florida East Coast Railway. An evacuation train sent to rescue those who lived in the keys. It was hit by the storm surge and high winds and 259 passengers died, mostly World War I veterans. In total, at least 408 people were killed by the hurricane.
After striking the Keys, the storm continued up the west coast of Florida and landed again on the panhandle of Florida as a category 2 hurricane on September 4. It then passed through Georgia (where it continued to cause wind and flood damage), South Carolina, North Carolina and emerged back into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia. The storm then continued until it became extratropical south of Greenland on the 10th.
See also
External links
- Excerpts from the Labor Day 1935 Hurricane Monthly Weather Review Article (http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Storm_pages/labor_day/labor_article.html)
| Edit (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Template:Florida_Keys&action=edit) | Florida Keys |
|---|---|
| Upper keys | Key Largo, Islamorada, Tavernier, Plantation Key, Matecumbe Key |
| Middle keys | Craig Key, Fiesta Key, Long Key, Conch Key, Duck Key, Grassy Key, Deer Key, Vaca Key, Marathon Key, Boot Key |
| Lower keys | Bahia Honda, West Summerland Key, No Name Key, Big Pine Key, Torch Key, Little Torch Key, Ramrod Key, Summerland Key, Cudjoe Key, Sugarloaf Key, Saddlebunch Keys, Big Coppitt Key, Boca Chica, Key West |
| Outlying islands | Dry Tortugas, Marquesas Keys |
| Areas | Florida Bay, Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, National Key Deer Sanctuary, Biscayne Bay, Biscayne National Park |
| Other topics | Overseas Highway, Overseas Railway, Seven Mile Bridge, Key Deer, Conch Republic, Monroe County, Hurricane Georges, 1935 Hurricane, Theater of the Sea |