Astounding historic photographs show the devastation the Greater Miami area faced after a 1926 hurricane ravaged the Bahamas and south Florida.
The hurricane happened before storms were named. It is commonly referred to as the ‘Great Miami’ hurricane.
The storm is believed to have formed in the Atlantic on September 11, 1926. As it headed north, the tropical storm became a hurricane.
The view of Miami’s residential suburbs after the 1926 ‘Great Hurricane’ that left 43,000 people homeless
The hurricane happened before storms were named. It is commonly referred to as the ‘Great Miami’ hurricane
This is a photograph of damage in Hollywood, Florida. Hollywood is a city located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale
A casino in Hollywood, Florida, was completely devastated by the 1926 hurricane that killed 372 people in the United States
This is a photograph of the corner of Arthur and Dixie in Hollywood, Florida. 43,000 people were left homeless
Hollandale Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida. The storm formed in the Atlantic on September 11, 1926
The First M. E. Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was completely destroyed by strong winds during the storm
A huge sign collapsed on the Maxwell Arcade in Fort Lauderdale, which had just been built in 1925
No ship saw the storm until September 15 when it had passed the Virgin Islands. It reached peak intensity at the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane and tore through Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas before making landfall in Miami on September 18.
It left thousands homeless and destroyed almost everything in its path.
The hurricane tore through the Florida peninsula and emerged in the Gulf of Mexico near Fort Meyers. It then made two weaker landfalls in Mississippi and Alabama.
This is a picture of the Deauville hotel in Miami Beach after the hurricane tore through South Florida
The Dania School was completely flattened by the storm. Nine died in Dania, Florida as a result of the hurricane
A Dania ice plant was ravaged by the storm. Nine people died in the Florida town of Dania during the hurricane
The hurricane tore through the Florida peninsula and emerged in the Gulf of Mexico near Fort Meyers
The Daily News Building sustained severe damage after the ‘Great Miami’ hurricane in September of 1926
Coral Gables also faced severe destruction in 1926 after the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane tore through Florida
This is a picture of Coconut Grove, the oldest inhabited neighborhood in Miami, after the hurricane
It finally dissipated on September 22, 1926.
The ‘Great Miami’ hurricane caused $105million worth of damage, equivalent to $7.2billion in 2016. The storm helped launch Florida into an early Great Depression start.
The storm caused 372 deaths in the United States with 114 from Miami alone. About 43,000 people were left homeless, mostly in the Miami area.
A Coast Guard cutter washed up on the beach after the ‘Great Miami’ hurricane ravaged south Florida
A casino in Florida was almost completely destroyed. Most wooden buildings in Miami were blown down or lost their roofs
This is a picture of the scene on Bayshore Drive on September 18, 1926, when a hurricane tore through the city
Pictured: Wreckage after the 1926 hurricane. The storm caused 372 deaths in the United States with 114 from Miami alone
This is a picture of South Beach in Miami Beach after the storm. Destruction is evident on the street
Pictured: A woman begins to clean up after the storm devastated South Florida and the Bahamas
This is a picture of the wrecked Haulover Bridge after the storm that killed 372 Americans
The ‘Great Miami’ hurricane caused $105million worth of damage, equivalent to $7.2billion in 2016
Most wooden buildings in Miami were blown down or lost their roofs. Concrete and steel buildings were warped at the bases.
The storm wrecked restaurants and prominent tourist attractions in Miami, including Million Dollar Pier.
It also caused widespread beach erosion along the east coast of Florida.
Half of the citrus-bearing trees south of Miami were destroyed due to widespread flooding.
The MacArthur Causeway, which connects downtown Miami and Miami Beach, was submerged under 6 feet of water. The two parts of the city could not communicate with each other or with the rest of the U.S.
This is the view down Short Street after the 1926 hurricane. It caused widespread beach erosion along the coast of Florida
Concrete and steel buildings were warped at the bases, but most wooden buildings were completely destroyed
Half of the citrus-bearing trees south of Miami were destroyed due to widespread flooding
Pictured: A row of houses completely demolished after the 1926 ‘Great Miami’ hurricane ripped through Florida
Pictured: A pleasure craft cast ashore by the hurricane. Coast Guard boats were also blown to shore
Miami Beach and Miami could not contact each other during the duration of the hurricane due to flooding
Pictured: Wreckage at the Hotel McCallister after the 1926 hurricane ripped through Florida
The storm wrecked restaurants and prominent tourist attractions in Miami and left 43,000 people homeless