1933 Treasure Coast hurricane facts for kids
| Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Surface weather analysis of the hurricane on September 3 near the Bahamas
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| Formed | August 31, 1933 |
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| Dissipated | September 7, 1933 |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 140 mph (220 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | ≤ 945 mbar (hPa); 27.91 inHg |
| Fatalities | 3 total |
| Damage | $3 million (1933 USD) |
| Areas affected | The Bahamas, Florida, Georgia, The Carolinas |
| Part of the 1933 Atlantic hurricane season | |
The 1933 Treasure Coast hurricane was a very strong tropical cyclone that hit the United States. It was the second most powerful storm to strike the country during the busy 1933 Atlantic hurricane season. This storm was the eleventh tropical storm, fifth hurricane, and third major hurricane of that year. It started forming on August 31, 1933, east-northeast of the Leeward Islands.
The storm quickly moved west-northwest, getting stronger and turning into a hurricane. On September 3, it reached its strongest winds of about 140 miles per hour (225 km/h). It then passed over parts of the The Bahamas, including Eleuthera and Harbour Island. The hurricane caused a lot of damage to farms, buildings, and roads there. Winds over 100 miles per hour (161 km/h) hit many islands, especially those directly in its path. Many docks were also destroyed.
After hitting the Bahamas, the hurricane became a bit weaker. It made landfall in Jupiter, Florida, early on September 4, with winds of about 125 miles per hour (201 km/h). As the hurricane moved across Florida, it blew buildings off their foundations and knocked down many trees in fruit groves. The Treasure Coast area, which includes Stuart, Jupiter, and Fort Pierce, saw the most damage. Further inland, the storm weakened quickly but brought huge amounts of rain. This heavy rain caused a dam near Tampa to break. The storm caused about $3 million in damage in 1933 money. It damaged or destroyed 6,848 homes.
What was unusual about this storm is that it hit Florida less than 24 hours before another major hurricane struck South Texas. It's very rare for two major hurricanes to hit the United States so close together in time.
Contents
How the Hurricane Formed and Traveled
The hurricane likely started from a tropical wave that formed a tropical depression around August 27. However, there wasn't much information about it for a few days as it moved west-northwest. On August 31, a ship nearby reported strong winds, which meant a tropical storm had formed east-northeast of the Lesser Antilles. Experts believe the storm became a hurricane later that same day. It moved quickly to the west-northwest, passing north of the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico.
Early on September 2, a ship called the Gulfwing reported a low pressure, which confirmed the storm was a hurricane. After passing north of the Turks and Caicos islands, the hurricane hit Eleuthera and Harbour Island in the Bahamas on September 3. A weather station on Harbour Island reported very low pressure as the calm center, called the eye, passed over for 30 minutes. Based on this pressure and the storm's small size, it's thought the hurricane hit Harbour Island with peak winds of 140 miles per hour (225 km/h). This would make it a very powerful Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
This hurricane first followed a similar path to another hurricane that had passed through the area in late August. However, this storm kept moving generally west-northwest. After moving through the northern Bahamas, the hurricane weakened a little before making landfall in Jupiter, Florida, early on September 4. A station there reported low pressure during the 40 minutes the eye passed over. This suggested the storm had winds of about 125 miles per hour (201 km/h) when it hit land. At that time, the strongest winds were only about 15 miles (24 km) from the center, which is smaller than average.
After hitting Florida, the hurricane quickly weakened as it moved across the state. It briefly went back over the Gulf of Mexico as a tropical storm early on September 5. A few hours later, still moving northwest, it made another landfall near Rosewood in Levy County, with winds of about 65 miles per hour (105 km/h). Turning north, the storm slowly weakened as it moved into Georgia, finally disappearing on September 7 near Augusta.
Preparing for the Storm and Its Effects
On September 2, before the storm hit, eight airplanes helped move all white residents from West End, Grand Bahama, to Daytona Beach, Florida. As the storm was at its strongest on September 3, the Weather Bureau issued hurricane warnings for areas from Miami to Melbourne, Florida. Storm warnings were also put out for areas further north to Jacksonville. Later that day, storm warnings were issued from Key West to Cedar Key. About 2,500 people living near Lake Okeechobee left by train to find safety. By the evening of September 3, high tides were sending sea spray over coastal seawalls in Palm Beach County. Residents were boarding up their buildings. Along the coast, people reported very rough seas as the eye of the storm got closer.
Impact in the Bahamas
The powerful hurricane passed over or very close to several islands in the Bahamas. Winds on Spanish Wells and Harbour Island were both estimated to be around 140 miles per hour (225 km/h). Winds reached 110 miles per hour (177 km/h) at Governor's Harbour, 100 miles per hour (161 km/h) on Eleuthera, and 120 miles per hour (193 km/h) on the Abaco Islands. The storm was further away from Nassau, where winds reached 61 miles per hour (98 km/h).
The hurricane damaged a lumber mill on Abaco and washed away a dock. There was heavy damage on Harbour Island, including to many roofs, government buildings, and the water system. The hurricane destroyed four churches and 37 houses, leaving 100 people without homes. A 1.5-mile (2.4 km) road on Eleuthera was also destroyed. Several islands had damage to their farms, including the complete loss of fruit trees on Russell Island. Even though Spanish Wells experienced Category 4 winds, only five houses were completely destroyed, but most other homes lost their roofs. On Eleuthera, between North Point, James Cistern, and Gregory Town, the storm destroyed 55 houses and damaged many others. On Grand Bahama, where the water rose 9 to 12 feet (2.7 to 3.7 m) above normal, half of the houses were destroyed, along with 13 boats and two planes. Most docks were also wrecked.
Damage in Florida
When the storm hit Florida, winds were estimated to reach 125 miles per hour (201 km/h) in Jupiter, even after the eye had passed. In West Palm Beach, wind instruments measured at least 80 miles per hour (129 km/h) winds, with gusts up to 100 miles per hour (161 km/h). The storm brought the strongest winds to the city since the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. Winds were not as strong further from the center. Miami to the south, Titusville to the north, and Tampa on the west coast saw winds of 40 to 45 miles per hour (64 to 72 km/h). Fort Pierce estimated peak winds of 80 to 90 miles per hour (129 to 145 km/h). Inland, winds near Lake Okeechobee only reached about 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). The hurricane dropped a lot of rain along its path, with the most being 17.8 inches (452 mm) in Clermont.
In West Palm Beach, most of the damage was to plants. Many coconut and royal palm trees that had survived the 1928 hurricane broke, leaving streets covered with broken trunks. Winds knocked down road signs, and floodwaters covered the greens on a local golf course. Some garages and small buildings, mostly light ones, were partly or completely destroyed, along with a lumber warehouse. Some homes that lost roof shingles also had water damage inside. Nearby Lake Worth had many broken windows and lost roof tiles and shingles. However, because people had prepared well, losses were only a few thousand dollars, and no accidents happened after the storm. Strong winds snapped many light poles in the city, and trees and bushes were broken or pulled out of the ground. Like in Lake Worth, officials in West Palm Beach said that good preparations and strong building rules helped reduce the overall damage. The city had learned from past severe storms in 1926, 1928, and 1929. High tides washed away parts of Ocean Boulevard and made it hard to reach several bridges on the Lake Worth Lagoon. Large winter homes and hotels on Palm Beach generally had little damage, except to their plants.
In Martin and St. Lucie counties, the storm was considered one of the worst ever. The storm flattened some homes and pushed many others off their foundations. In Stuart, winds removed or badly damaged 75% of the roofs in town. The storm destroyed the third floor of the building that held a bowling alley and the local newspaper, the Stuart News. In Olympia, strong winds completely destroyed the old Olympia Inn, a gas station, and the second floor of a pharmacy building. Winds also ripped the roof off an ice plant. A bridge leading to the barrier island from Olympia was partly wrecked. The person who tended the bridge survived by holding onto the railing during the storm, but his nearby home was destroyed. According to the Monthly Weather Review, some of the worst damage in Florida was in Olympia. The storm made many homes in Hobe Sound impossible to live in, so crews had to tear them down. However, the larger winter homes on the island were built better and had little damage. While Stuart and Hobe Sound were badly hit, Port Salerno had very little damage. In Stuart, the storm left 400 to 500 people homeless, which was almost 10% of the town's population at the time. Between Jupiter and Fort Pierce, the storm knocked down power and telegraph lines. In Fort Pierce, high waves washed out part of the causeway.
Crop damage was worst along the Indian River Lagoon. Several farms in Stuart lost everything, and across the state, 16% of the citrus crop, or 4 million boxes, were destroyed. Many chicken coops in Stuart were destroyed, and chickens were scattered as far as Indiantown. Across southeastern Florida, the hurricane damaged 6,465 houses and destroyed another 383, causing over $3 million in damage. Sadly, three people lost their lives because of the storm. One farm worker died when his small house blew down, a train worker died after seven train cars went off the tracks, and a child was killed by flying debris.
Heavy rainfall caused flooding across Florida, especially near Tampa, where waters reached 9 feet (2.7 m) deep. More than 7 inches (178 mm) of rain caused a dam operated by Tampa Electric Co. to break about 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of Tampa along the Hillsborough River. This break caused severe local damage, flooding parts of Sulphur Springs. Workers tried to save the dam with sandbags. After the break, most residents in the area were warned about the coming flood. Over 50 homes were flooded, forcing about 150 people to leave their homes. Outside Florida, the storm brought winds of 48 miles per hour (77 km/h) in Savannah, Georgia and 51 miles per hour (82 km/h) in Charleston, South Carolina. In Charleston, the storm also created a tornado, which caused about $10,000 in property damage. Heavy rain fell along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts, reaching over 12 inches (305 mm). Light rain also extended into North Carolina.
After the Storm
In the Bahamas, after the storm passed, a boat sailed from Nassau to deliver food and building materials to Eleuthera.
After the storm in Florida, the National Guard offered shelters for at least 400 people who had lost their homes in Stuart. Out of the 7,900 families affected by the hurricane, 4,325 needed help from the American Red Cross. Farmers in Texas, who were also hit by a major hurricane, asked Florida growers to wait 15 days before selling their fallen citrus crops. The damaged dam near Tampa initially caused water from the Hillsborough River to be pumped into the city's water treatment plant. A new dam was eventually built there in 1944.
