“Attendant winds on September 2 were of phenomenal violence as is shown by physical effects almost equivalent to those experienced in tornadoes. One observer reported his house partially demolished by a wind-driven beam, 6 by 8 inches in section and 18 feet long, which was blown 800 yards from another building; this occurred at a time nearly 3 hours in advance of arrival of the calm center. It was this observer’s impression that the winds were still more violent afterward. The lenses. and 3/8-inch protecting glass of Alligator Reef Lighthouse, 135 feet above sea level, were reported to have been completely destroyed by the hurricane; and it is unlikely that this destruction could have been produced by flying debris.It seems safe to estimate that winds of 150 to 200 miles per hour occurred near and over the Keys, with gusts probably exceeding 200 miles per hour.
Over # distance of about 30 miles, from the settlement of Tavernier (about 25°01’ N., 80°32’ W.) to Vaca Keys, the destruction of buildings, roads, viaducts, and bridges was practically complete.
The 1935 Labor Day hurricane was the most powerful on record to make landfall on US shores.
The 1900 Galveston hurricane was by far the deadliest to hit the US.
The 1926 Miami hurricane remains the most expensive in US history as measured in inflation adjusted dollars.
And yet since Katrina hit in 2005 we have been bombarded by BS claims about how these storms are getting worse.