The Okeechobee hurricane of 1928, also known as the San Felipe Segundo hurricane and Florida's Forgotten Storm, was one of the deadliest hurricanes in the recorded history of the North Atlantic basin, and the fourth deadliest hurricane in the United States, only behind the 1900 Galveston hurricane, 1899 San Ciriaco hurricane, and Hurricane Maria in 2017. The hurricane killed an estimated 2,500 people in the United States; most of the fatalities occurred in the state of Florida, particularly around Lake Okeechobee. It was the fourth tropical cyclone, third hurricane, and only major hurricane of the 1928 Atlantic hurricane season, and remains the deadliest disaster in Florida's history to date. It developed off the west coast of Africa on September 6 as a tropical depression, but it strengthened into a tropical storm later that day, shortly before passing south of the Cape Verde islands. Further intensification was slow and halted late on September 7. About 48 hours later, the storm strengthened and became a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. Still moving westward, the system reached Category 4 intensity before striking Guadeloupe on September 12, where it brought great destruction and resulted in 1,200 deaths. The islands of Martinique, Montserrat, and Nevis also reported damage and fatalities, but not nearly as severe as in Guadeloupe.
The Okeechobee hurricane first struck the island of Guadeloupe; eventually it reached the United States and caused over 4,000 deaths overall.
On September 12, in the year 1928, The Okeechobee hurricane first struck the island of Guadeloupe; eventually it reached the United States and caused over 4,000 deaths overall. This event is recorded as a Selected Events event in the history of September 12, one of 423 recorded events on this date across all of history.
Key Facts
- This event took place on September 12, 1928 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Selected Events event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 2 Wikipedia articles.
- Wikipedia source last updated on 18 August 2026.
On This Date in History 423
This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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