The 1928 Okeechobee hurricane was the second deadliest tropical cyclone ever in the United States, after the 1900 Galveston hurricane. The only major hurricane of its season, it struck Guadeloupe as a Category 4 storm on September 12, causing 1,200 deaths. The islands of Martinique, Montserrat, and Nevis also reported damage and fatalities. After sustained winds peaked at 160 mph (260 km/h) the next day, the storm became the only Category 5 hurricane ever to hit Puerto Rico; 24,728 homes were destroyed and 192,444 were damaged, leaving 312 people dead and over 500,000 homeless. Early on September 17, the storm made landfall in Florida near Lake Okeechobee with winds of 145 mph (233 km/h). The storm surge forced water out of the southern edge of the lake, spreading floodwaters as high as 20 feet (6.1 m) over hundreds of square miles. Houses were swept away in the cities of Belle Glade, Canal Point, Chosen, Pahokee, and South Bay, and at least 2,500 people drowned. The tropical storm also hit Georgia and the Carolinas. Overall, the system caused $100 million in damage and at least 4,079 deaths.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1928_Okeechobee_hurricane
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
457:
Leo I was crowned Byzantine emperor, and went on to rule for nearly 20 years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_I_the_Thracian
1497:
Supporters of the Dominican priest Girolamo Savonarola collected and publicly burned thousands of objects such as cosmetics, art, and books in Florence, Italy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonfire_of_the_Vanities
1904:
The Great Baltimore Fire in Maryland began, and destroyed over 1,500 buildings in 30 hours. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Baltimore_Fire
1907:
More than 3,000 women in London participated in the Mud March, the first large procession organized by the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, seeking women's suffrage in the United Kingdom. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mud_March_(Suffragists)
1986:
President of Haiti Jean-Claude Duvalier fled the country after a popular uprising, ending 28 years of one-family rule in the nation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Claude_Duvalier
1999:
Abdullah II became the reigning King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan following the death of his father King Hussein. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_II_of_Jordan
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
chuchotage: The interpretation or translation of speech in a whisper to a single person in proximity to other people. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chuchotage
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Euclid taught me that without assumptions there is no proof. Therefore, in any argument, examine the assumptions. Then, in the alleged proof, be alert for inexplicit assumptions. Euclid's notorious oversights drove this lesson home. --Eric Temple Bell https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Eric_Temple_Bell