Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Great Miami Hurricane of 1926
Photographed By Marsha A. Matson
1. Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 Marker
Marker is missing from its location on NE 1st St. and NE 1st Ave.
Inscription.
Great Miami Hurricane of 1926. . On September 18, 1926, the Great Miami Hurricane swept across South Florida with estimated winds of 131-155 mph. Before the era of satellites and computer models, warnings for tropical cyclones were often inadequate. A storm warning from Washington was posted by the Miami Weather Bureau Office (located on the third floor of the Old U.S. Post Office and Courthouse Building from 1914 to 1929) at noon on September 17. A hurricane warning went up only as the winds were rising at 11:25 PM. Weather instruments on the roof of the building blew away around 3:30 AM. The eye of the hurricane reached the coast at 6:00 AM, lasting about 35 minutes with a lowest pressure measured at 27.61 inches. The second part of the hurricane produced the strongest winds and the highest storm surge up to 10 feet that completely flooded Miami Beach and several blocks inland on the mainland, causing the deaths of many people who mistakenly thought the storm was over. The storm killed more than 370 people, made more than 25,000 people homeless, and caused millions of dollars in South Florida. It continued across the state and moved into the Gulf of Florida near Fort Myers, making a second landfall west of Pensacola on September 20, 1926.
On September 18, 1926, the Great Miami Hurricane swept across South Florida with estimated winds of 131-155 mph. Before the era of satellites and computer models, warnings for tropical cyclones were often inadequate.
A storm warning from Washington was posted by the Miami Weather Bureau Office (located on the third floor of the Old U.S. Post Office and Courthouse Building from 1914 to 1929) at noon on September 17. A hurricane warning went up only as the winds were rising at 11:25 PM. Weather instruments on the roof of the building blew away around 3:30 AM. The eye of the hurricane reached the coast at 6:00 AM, lasting about 35 minutes with a lowest pressure measured at 27.61 inches. The second part of the hurricane produced the strongest winds and the highest storm surge up to 10 feet that completely flooded Miami Beach and several blocks inland on the mainland, causing the deaths of many people who mistakenly thought the storm was over. The storm killed more than 370 people, made more than 25,000 people homeless, and caused millions of dollars in South Florida. It continued across the state and moved into the Gulf of Florida near Fort Myers, making a second landfall west of Pensacola on September 20, 1926.
Erected 2006 by The National Weather Service and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-593.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Disasters. A significant historical date for this entry is September 18, 1926.
Location. Marker has been reported missing.
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It was located near 25° 46.511′ N, 80° 11.517′ W. Marker was in Miami, Florida, in Miami-Dade County. Marker was at the intersection of Northeast 1st Avenue and NE 1st Street, on the left when traveling north on Northeast 1st Avenue. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 100-118 Northeast 1st Avenue, Miami FL 33130, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Marsha A. Matson, September 7, 2015
3. Old Federal Building in front of which the marker once stood
1926
4. Wreckage at Miami, Fla.
1926
5. Boats From Biscayne Bay Left High and Dry on the City Streets, Miami Hurricane
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 11, 2015, by Marsha A. Matson of Palmetto Bay, Florida. This page has been viewed 885 times since then and 71 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on September 11, 2015, by Marsha A. Matson of Palmetto Bay, Florida. 2. submitted on March 27, 2018, by Daniel Eisenberg of Boca Raton, Florida. 3. submitted on September 11, 2015, by Marsha A. Matson of Palmetto Bay, Florida. 4, 5. submitted on September 14, 2015. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.