1906 Florida Keys hurricane
Encyclopedia
The 1906 Florida Keys hurricane was a powerful and deadly hurricane that caused major impacts in Cuba
and southern Florida. The fifth hurricane and third major hurricane of the season
, the storm formed from a system near Barbados
on October 4. By October 8, it had intensified into a tropical storm, and made landfall as a hurricane in Central America
. The hurricane traveled towards Cuba, making landfall and wreaking havoc on the island. The storm then made a third landfall in the Florida Keys
during the evening of October 18. At least 240 people were killed as a result of the hurricane, and damages totaled at least $4,135,000.
Of the 240 people killed during the storm, 135 were workers on the Florida East Coast Railway
. The hurricane eventually led to the end to the end of pineapple production in the Florida Keys for commercial purposes in 1915, although this was amplified by two further hurricanes in the following years. In 1947, Project Cirrus, a collaboration of the United States Air Force, attempted to seed a hurricane; however, the storm made a sudden re-curvature and came ashore near Charleston, South Carolina
. As a result, several lawsuits were filed, although they were denied after the path of this storm was revealed to have been similar to the 1947 hurricane.
on October 4, as reported by local newspapers. On October 5, no closed circulation
was evident in the system. In Colón, Panama
, a report was sent to the Weather Bureau
, reporting sinking barometric pressures on October 6. It was recognized as a tropical storm early on October 8, with winds of 40 mph (65 km/h), while located in the southwestern Caribbean Sea
.
As the system continued to move west on October 9, it strengthened into a hurricane, and while it began to curve toward the west-northwest, further strengthening occurred, as it intensified into a Category 2 hurricane. The hurricane made landfall in Nicaragua
on October 10 as a Category 3 hurricane. The system quickly weakened to a tropical storm as it traveled west-northwestward on October 11, later passing over the Gulf of Honduras
. It later struck Belize on October 13 as a strong Category 1 hurricane on October 13, tracking north-northwestward.
The system weakened into a tropical storm by October 14 but restrengthened into a Category 1 hurricane by October 16. As the hurricane began to turn northeastward, it continued to intensify, attaining Category 3 status by October 17. The hurricane continued to approach Havana
during the day, and the hurricane's center passed east of Havana during the evening. The following morning, the hurricane was located over southern Florida moving northeastward, and passed east of the coast of South Carolina
. The hurricane began to weaken as it was forced to curve south-southwestward, striking Florida again as the result of a high-pressure area. The system eventually weakened to a tropical depression over Florida, and traced southwestward into the Gulf of Mexico. On October 23, the remnants of the hurricane struck Central America and dissipated on October 23.
suffered moderate damage during the hurricane, including downed trees and damage to roofs. In western Nicaragua
, widespread flooding damaged roads and disrupted the construction of a port in Corinto
. In Matagalpa
, many plantations were severely damaged, in addition to the destruction of bridges and roads in the city. Several landslides occurred, leading to the destruction of many hills. In addition, local crops suffered much damage, including much of the local banana and rubber crops. A large wave measuring 15 feet (4.6 m) caused by the storm was described off Nicaragua
, and caused brief disappearances of the Seal Cays. Along the Mosquito Coast
, the town of Prinzapolka
was nearly wiped out by the hurricane. Damage to fruit plantations in Costa Rica
totaled $1,000,000.
sustained major damage from the hurricane, with 50 houses destroyed, and cable operators in Miami, Santiago, and Jamaica
were unable to reach telegraph services in the city. The wall of a legation
of the United States was blown down. Vedado
's sea baths were severely damaged. Havana's streetcar service was temporarily disrupted by the storm. Trees were blown down in the parks of Havana. Twenty people were killed in the city, while in Batabanó
, nine people were killed, with many others missing. In Matanzas
, the location of the United States' 28th Infantry
, tents were destroyed and there was widespread damage. However, nobody was killed or injured in the city. In San Luis
, tobacco crops were ruined, and 150 tobacco barns in the Alquízar
municipality were destroyed. The sugar crop in Pinar del Río Province
survived well during the hurricane. In the La Guria section of Cuba, the banana crops were completely destroyed. Rivers topped their banks throughout the country.
, the Peninsula and Occidental railcar sheds collapsed, with the roofs blown away. A two-story brick saloon was destroyed during the hurricane. The Miami telegraph office reported street flooding in the city, and that the telegraph office was flooded. Damage in Miami amounted to $160,000. In Key West
, houses and trees were knocked down. In St. Augustine
, the tide was described as the "highest in ten years," where streets were flooded throughout the city. At least 70 passengers on the steamers St. Lucia and Peerless drowned during the storm near Elliott Key
. The steamers Campbell and the Sara were destroyed near the Isle of Pines, and the Elmora sank. Telegraph lines were also down south of Jupiter
.
The effects of the hurricane were most severe on the Florida East Coast Railway
, where at least 135 people died, 104 of them on Houseboat No. 4, one of the railway's boats. Many of the workers were swept to sea on barges and flatboats; however, the steamer Jenny rescued 42 workers, who were dropped off at Key West, while another 24 were sent to Savannah, Georgia
. The railway's losses totaled about $200,000. Construction was disrupted for a whole year by the storm, as equipment was reassembled and repaired. Many farmers on the Florida Keys
suffered large losses; orange groves and fields of pineapples were devastated by the storm. Six lives were lost on plantations in the Keys. At the government wharf, the Fessenden was damaged during the hurricane.
in a hurricane. Approximately 80 pounds (36.3 kg) of crushed dry ice
were seeded into the 1947 hurricane. The system was successfully seeded; however, soon after the seeding, the hurricane changed course and traced toward Charleston, South Carolina
. Following the seeding, the project was cancelled and numerous lawsuits were filed as the result of the sudden change of the path in the storm. However, the similar path of this hurricane prevented the success of the lawsuits.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and southern Florida. The fifth hurricane and third major hurricane of the season
1906 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1906 Atlantic hurricane season was the eleventh-deadliest Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history, with 381 deaths. The season was fairly active, with eleven storms, of which six became hurricanes and three became major hurricanes...
, the storm formed from a system near Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
on October 4. By October 8, it had intensified into a tropical storm, and made landfall as a hurricane in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. The hurricane traveled towards Cuba, making landfall and wreaking havoc on the island. The storm then made a third landfall in the Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
during the evening of October 18. At least 240 people were killed as a result of the hurricane, and damages totaled at least $4,135,000.
Of the 240 people killed during the storm, 135 were workers on the Florida East Coast Railway
Florida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
. The hurricane eventually led to the end to the end of pineapple production in the Florida Keys for commercial purposes in 1915, although this was amplified by two further hurricanes in the following years. In 1947, Project Cirrus, a collaboration of the United States Air Force, attempted to seed a hurricane; however, the storm made a sudden re-curvature and came ashore near Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. As a result, several lawsuits were filed, although they were denied after the path of this storm was revealed to have been similar to the 1947 hurricane.
Meteorological history
The hurricane originated from a "cyclonic perturbation" near BarbadosBarbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
on October 4, as reported by local newspapers. On October 5, no closed circulation
Atmospheric circulation
Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale movement of air, and the means by which thermal energy is distributed on the surface of the Earth....
was evident in the system. In Colón, Panama
Colón, Panama
Colón is a sea port on the Caribbean Sea coast of Panama. The city lies near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. It is capital of Panama's Colón Province and has traditionally been known as Panama's second city....
, a report was sent to the Weather Bureau
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
, reporting sinking barometric pressures on October 6. It was recognized as a tropical storm early on October 8, with winds of 40 mph (65 km/h), while located in the southwestern Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
.
As the system continued to move west on October 9, it strengthened into a hurricane, and while it began to curve toward the west-northwest, further strengthening occurred, as it intensified into a Category 2 hurricane. The hurricane made landfall in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
on October 10 as a Category 3 hurricane. The system quickly weakened to a tropical storm as it traveled west-northwestward on October 11, later passing over the Gulf of Honduras
Gulf of Honduras
The Gulf or Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. From north to south, it runs for approximately 200 km from Dangriga, Belize, to La Ceiba, Honduras....
. It later struck Belize on October 13 as a strong Category 1 hurricane on October 13, tracking north-northwestward.
The system weakened into a tropical storm by October 14 but restrengthened into a Category 1 hurricane by October 16. As the hurricane began to turn northeastward, it continued to intensify, attaining Category 3 status by October 17. The hurricane continued to approach Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
during the day, and the hurricane's center passed east of Havana during the evening. The following morning, the hurricane was located over southern Florida moving northeastward, and passed east of the coast of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. The hurricane began to weaken as it was forced to curve south-southwestward, striking Florida again as the result of a high-pressure area. The system eventually weakened to a tropical depression over Florida, and traced southwestward into the Gulf of Mexico. On October 23, the remnants of the hurricane struck Central America and dissipated on October 23.
Preparations and impact
| Region | Deaths | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 211+ | $420,000+ |
| Cuba | 29+ | $2,000,000+ |
| Costa Rica | None | $1,000,000+ |
| Honduras | None | $1,000,000+ |
| Other | — | $600,000+ |
| Total | 240+ | $4,135,000+ |
Central America
The town of BluefieldsBluefields
Bluefields is the capital of the municipality of the same name, and of Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur in Nicaragua. It was also capital of the former Zelaya Department, which was divided into North and South Atlantic Autonomous Regions...
suffered moderate damage during the hurricane, including downed trees and damage to roofs. In western Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, widespread flooding damaged roads and disrupted the construction of a port in Corinto
Corinto, Nicaragua
Corinto is a town of 17,000 on the northwest Pacific coast of Nicaragua in the province of Chinandega. The municipality was founded in 1863 and was named in honour of the Greek city of Corinth.- Economy :...
. In Matagalpa
Matagalpa
Matagalpa is a city in Nicaragua, the capital of the department of Matagalpa. The city has a population of 109,100 , while the population of the department is more than 480,000. Matagalpa is Nicaragua's fifth largest city and one of its most commercially active outside of Managua...
, many plantations were severely damaged, in addition to the destruction of bridges and roads in the city. Several landslides occurred, leading to the destruction of many hills. In addition, local crops suffered much damage, including much of the local banana and rubber crops. A large wave measuring 15 feet (4.6 m) caused by the storm was described off Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, and caused brief disappearances of the Seal Cays. Along the Mosquito Coast
Mosquito Coast
The Caribbean Mosquito Coast historically consisted of an area along the Atlantic coast of present-day Nicaragua and Honduras, and part of the Western Caribbean Zone. It was named after the local Miskito Indians and long dominated by British interests...
, the town of Prinzapolka
Prinzapolka
Prinzapolka is a municipality in the Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte department of Nicaragua.Prinzapolka is also an important river basin in the Atlantic Region of Nicaragua 330km .- External links :...
was nearly wiped out by the hurricane. Damage to fruit plantations in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
totaled $1,000,000.
Cuba
HavanaHavana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
sustained major damage from the hurricane, with 50 houses destroyed, and cable operators in Miami, Santiago, and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
were unable to reach telegraph services in the city. The wall of a legation
Legation
A legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
of the United States was blown down. Vedado
Vedado
Vedado is the downtown and a vibrant neighboorhood in the city of Havana, Cuba. Bordered on the east by Central Havana, and on the west by the Miramar/Playa district. The main street running east to west is Calle 23, also known as 'La Rampa'...
's sea baths were severely damaged. Havana's streetcar service was temporarily disrupted by the storm. Trees were blown down in the parks of Havana. Twenty people were killed in the city, while in Batabanó
Batabanó, Cuba
Batabanó is a municipality and city in the Mayabeque Province of Cuba.The municipality is crossed by a number of small rivers, among them Río Guanabo, Río San Felipe, Río Pacheco, Río San Juan and Río Santa Gertrudis. A marina is located in the port of Batabano...
, nine people were killed, with many others missing. In Matanzas
Matanzas
Matanzas is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. It is famed for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore.It is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas , east of the capital Havana and west of the resort town of Varadero.Matanzas is called the...
, the location of the United States' 28th Infantry
28th Infantry Regiment (United States)
Since the establishment of the United States Army in 1775, three regiments have held the designation 28th Infantry Regiment. The first was a Provisional unit that was constituted on 29 January 1813 and served during The War of 1812. The second was a reorganization and redesignation of 2nd...
, tents were destroyed and there was widespread damage. However, nobody was killed or injured in the city. In San Luis
San Luis, Pinar del Río
San Luis is a municipality and city in the Pinar del Río Province of Cuba. It is centered mainly on agriculture , stock raising....
, tobacco crops were ruined, and 150 tobacco barns in the Alquízar
Alquízar
Alquízar is a municipality and city in the Artemisa Province of Cuba.The town is located in the south-west corner of the province, south-west of San Antonio de los Baños and west of Güira de Melena....
municipality were destroyed. The sugar crop in Pinar del Río Province
Pinar del Río Province
Pinar del Río is one of the provinces of Cuba. It is at the western end of the island of Cuba.-Geography:The Pinar del Río province is Cuba's westernmost province and contains one of Cuba's three main mountain ranges, the Cordillera de Guaniguanico, divided into the easterly Sierra del Rosario and...
survived well during the hurricane. In the La Guria section of Cuba, the banana crops were completely destroyed. Rivers topped their banks throughout the country.
Florida
In Miami, over 100 houses were destroyed, and the Episcopal and Methodist churches were completely destroyed. The jail in Miami was nearly completely dismantled, and the prisoners were evacuated. In Fort PierceFort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, also spelled Ft. Pierce, is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is known as The Sunrise City. The population was 37,959 at the 2004 census. As of 2008, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 41,000. It is the county seat of St. Lucie County.Fort Pierce is part...
, the Peninsula and Occidental railcar sheds collapsed, with the roofs blown away. A two-story brick saloon was destroyed during the hurricane. The Miami telegraph office reported street flooding in the city, and that the telegraph office was flooded. Damage in Miami amounted to $160,000. In Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
, houses and trees were knocked down. In St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, the tide was described as the "highest in ten years," where streets were flooded throughout the city. At least 70 passengers on the steamers St. Lucia and Peerless drowned during the storm near Elliott Key
Elliott Key
Elliott Key is the northernmost of the true Florida Keys , and the largest key north of Key Largo. It is located entirely within Biscayne National Park, in Miami-Dade County, Florida, east of Homestead, Florida...
. The steamers Campbell and the Sara were destroyed near the Isle of Pines, and the Elmora sank. Telegraph lines were also down south of Jupiter
Jupiter, Florida
Jupiter is a town located in Palm Beach County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 39,328. The estimate population for 2009 is 50,606. As of 2006, the population had grown to 50,028, according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research....
.
The effects of the hurricane were most severe on the Florida East Coast Railway
Florida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
, where at least 135 people died, 104 of them on Houseboat No. 4, one of the railway's boats. Many of the workers were swept to sea on barges and flatboats; however, the steamer Jenny rescued 42 workers, who were dropped off at Key West, while another 24 were sent to Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
. The railway's losses totaled about $200,000. Construction was disrupted for a whole year by the storm, as equipment was reassembled and repaired. Many farmers on the Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
suffered large losses; orange groves and fields of pineapples were devastated by the storm. Six lives were lost on plantations in the Keys. At the government wharf, the Fessenden was damaged during the hurricane.
Aftermath
Following the hurricane, all workers of the Florida East Coast Railway were provided with wooden barracks on land, and several additional safety measures were enforced. The hurricane eventually led to the end of the commercial production of pineapples in the Florida Keys. In 1947, Project Cirrus attempted to use the method of cloud seedingCloud seeding
Cloud seeding, a form of intentional weather modification, is the attempt to change the amount or type of precipitation that falls from clouds, by dispersing substances into the air that serve as cloud condensation or ice nuclei, which alter the microphysical processes within the cloud...
in a hurricane. Approximately 80 pounds (36.3 kg) of crushed dry ice
Dry ice
Dry ice, sometimes referred to as "Cardice" or as "card ice" , is the solid form of carbon dioxide. It is used primarily as a cooling agent. Its advantages include lower temperature than that of water ice and not leaving any residue...
were seeded into the 1947 hurricane. The system was successfully seeded; however, soon after the seeding, the hurricane changed course and traced toward Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. Following the seeding, the project was cancelled and numerous lawsuits were filed as the result of the sudden change of the path in the storm. However, the similar path of this hurricane prevented the success of the lawsuits.
See also
- List of Florida hurricanes (1900–1949)
- Florida East Coast RailwayFlorida East Coast RailwayThe Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...