Lake Okeechobee - Hurricanes

Hurricanes

In 1926 the Great Miami Hurricane hit the Lake Okeechobee area, killing approximately 300 people. Two years later in 1928, the Okeechobee Hurricane crossed over the lake, killing thousands. The Red Cross reported 1,836 deaths which the National Weather Service initially accepted, but in 2003, the number was revised to "at least 2,500". In both cases the catastrophe was caused by flooding from a storm surge when strong winds drove water over the 2 metre (6-foot) mud dike that circled the lake at the time.

After the two hurricanes, the Florida State Legislature created the "Okeechobee Flood Control District". The organization was authorized to cooperate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in actions to prevent similar disasters. U.S. President Herbert Hoover visited the area personally, and afterward the Corps designed a plan incorporating the construction of channels, gates, and levees. The Okeechobee Waterway was officially opened on 23 March 1937 by a procession of boats which left Fort Myers, Florida on 22 March and arrived at Stuart, Florida the following day. The dike was then named the "Herbert Hoover Dike" in honor of the president.

The 1947 Fort Lauderdale Hurricane sent an even larger storm surge to the crest of the new dike, causing it to be expanded again in the 1960s.

Three recent hurricanes–Hurricane Frances, Hurricane Jeanne, and Hurricane Wilma–had no major adverse effects on communities surrounding Lake Okeechobee, even though the lake rose 46 centimetres (18 in) after Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Tropical Storm Ernesto increased water levels by 30 centimetres (12 in) in 2006, the last time it exceeded 4 metres (13 ft). However, the lake's level began dropping soon after and by July 2007, it had dropped more than 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) to its all-time low of 2.68 metres (8.8 ft). In August 2008, Tropical Storm Fay increased water levels to 0.65 metres (2.1 ft) above sea level, the first time it exceeded 3.66 metres (12.0 ft) since January 2007. Over a seven day period (including some storms that preceded Fay), about 20 centimetres (7.9 in) of rain fell directly onto the lake.