Southwest Florida Hurricane History

Ellie Bunting • May 29, 2021

As we begin yet another hurricane season, I thought I would write a post taking a look at the storms that have affected Southwest Florida over the past century.


1921 Storm with No Name

On October 17, 1921, a low pressure system was observed in the western Caribbean. By October 22, a Cat 1 hurricane with winds of 81 mph had formed. One day later, the storm intensified to a Cat 4 with winds up to 140 mph.



On October 24, the hurricane entered the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall near Tarpon Springs with 115 mph winds. Once again, Sanibel, Captiva, and Estero Islands were completely covered with water. In Punta Rassa, most of the homes were either washed away or suffered extensive damage. Many of the highways leading out of Fort Myers were impassible due to the high water. On Estero Island, buildings were destroyed or damaged, and the tomb of Dr. Cyrus Teed, the founder of the Koreshan Unity, was washed out to sea.


Great Miami Hurricane of 1926

On September 17, 1926, tropical storm force winds began to blow in Lee County. The east coast of the state went under a storm watch at noon on the 17th and by 11 PM, the storm watch became a hurricane warning. Seven hours later, the storm made landfall in Miami as a Cat 4. After crossing the state, the storm exited the southwest coast near Bonita Springs with the eye of the storm passing over Punta Rassa. The storm surge was four to six feet above normal, flooding Sanibel with salt water and forcing half the residents to relocate.  According to the Naples Star, cars that were parked on the streets were, “filled with muddy saltwater and sea creatures. Those animals later died when the water subsided leaving a stench that lingered for weeks.”


The storm surge in Miami was 14 feet with 150 mph winds. Over 373 people died as a result of the 1926 storm.


Lake O Hurricane of 1928

One of the deadliest hurricanes in history, the Okeechobee hurricane of 1928, killed approximately 2,500 people in the US, most around Lake O.  The storm developed off the west coast of Africa on September 6 as a tropical depression. Forty eight hours later, a Cat 1 hurricane was tracking westward, reaching Cat 4 intensity before striking Guadeloupe on September 12. One day later, the storm became a Cat 5 with winds of 160 mph and struck Puerto Rico where 24, 728 homes were destroyed and 193, 444 were damaged leaving a half million people homeless.


The storm then emerged into the Atlantic as a Cat 4 crossing through the Bahamas and making landfall near West Palm Beach on September 17 with 145 mph winds. The storm surge caused water to pour out of Lake Okeechobee flooding the surrounding areas with 20 feet of water destroying everything in its path and causing at least 2500 people to drown. Damage was estimated at 25 million.


Labor Day Hurricane of 1935

The second major hurricane of the 1935 season, the Labor Day Hurricane caused catastrophic damage in the Florida Keys with a storm surge of 18-20 feet. The Cat 5 winds destroyed nearly all structures between Marathon and Tavernier. The town of Islamorada was obliterated and portions of the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway were damaged or destroyed.


The compact and intense hurricane caused catastrophic damage in the upper Florida Keys, as a storm surge of approximately 18 to 20 feet (5.5 to 6.1 m) swept over the low-lying islands. The hurricane’s strong winds and the surge destroyed nearly all the structures between Tavernier and Marathon. The town of Islamorada was obliterated. Portions of the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, hundreds of World War I veterans who had been sent to the Keys to build the Overseas Railroad were killed. The storm surge floated an entire train into the ocean.


Sanibel Hurricane of 1944

On October 12, 1944, a disturbance in the western Caribbean rapidly strengthened into a tropical storm. Within 24 hours, the storm grew into a hurricane which later became known as the 1944 Cuba-Florida hurricane, the 1944 San Lucas hurricane, and the Sanibel Island Hurricane of 1944. On October 16, the storm made landfall in Western Cuba as a Cat 4 hurricane causing extensive damage and killing 300 people.


The storm crossed the Dry Tortugas as a major hurricane on October 18 before making its final landfall near Sarasota as a Cat 2 hurricane.


On Estero Island at least 15 cottages were destroyed as well as the island fishing pier. The entire island was under 3-6 feet of seawater, flooding buildings and ruining crops. The storm surge reached as far as downtown Fort Myers flooding roads with 3-5 feet of water.


Hurricane Donna-1960

Hurricane Donna formed south of Cape Verde on August 29, 1960.  The system became a tropical storm the next day and reached hurricane status on September 1. By September 6, Donna had sustained winds of 145 mph when it made landfall on the Keys. The storm then skirted the west coast and made a second landfall south of Naples with 120 mph winds. The storm surge was 4-7 feet covering much of the Fort Myers Beach with water. The wind gusts were up to 121 mph with gusts of 100 mph felt as far north as Sarasota. Donna was the 9th costliest storm with damages estimated at 6.6 billion. Direct deaths from the storm are estimated at 364. For more information and a first hand account of surviving Donna, visit buntingsbeachblog.com.


Hurricane Andrew-1992

Hurricane Andrew was born off the west coast of Africa on August 14, 1992 and became a tropical storm on August 17. The storm developed slowly and almost died on August 20 due to severe wind shear. The next day, Andrew was located between Bermuda and Puerto Rico. A westward turn brought the storm into the warmer waters and a more favorable environment for development. Once Andrew got into this area, it strengthened rapidly reaching Cat 4 status on August 23. On August 24, Andrew came ashore near Homestead as a Cat 5 with winds over 170 mph. Over 1.4 million people lost power which was out for more than a month in some places. 70,000 acres of trees were destroyed in the Everglades. In Florida, Andrew killed 44 and left $25 billion in damages.


Hurricane Charley-2004

2004 was the year of the hurricane in Southwest Florida. Hurricane Charley was the first of four storms to impact Florida in 2004 along with Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. Charley, however, had the largest impact on Southwest Florida.   Charley was the third named storm of the season and became one of the strongest hurricanes to ever strike the US.


Charley lasted from August 9 to 15, and at its peak intensity it attained 150 mph (240 km/h) winds, making it a strong Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale. It made landfall in Southwest Florida at maximum strength, making it the strongest hurricane to hit the United States since Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992 and the strongest hurricane to hit southwest Florida in recorded history. Charley moved slowly through the Caribbean, crossing Cuba on August 13 as a Cat 3 storm. With winds up to 150 mph, Charley came ashore on the northern tip of Captiva before moving inland to Bokeelia and curving northeast devastating Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, Arcadia, Sebring, and Wauchula. The storm passed through Central Florida with winds up to 106 mph before exiting the state just north of Daytona Beach.


Charley caused 10 deaths and $16.9 billion in damage, making it the second costliest hurricane in the United States history at the time. Although it was very strong, Charley was a compact, fast-moving storm which helped to limit the scope and severity of the damage.


Hurricane Wilma-2005

The 2005 hurricane season included three of the ten most intense Atlantic hurricanes to ever hit the US. It also holds the record as the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Wilma was the twenty second storm of the season. It was the sixth major hurricane, the fourth Cat 5 hurricane, and the second most destructive hurricane of the season (Rita was #4 and Katrina #5).


Wilma started as a tropical depression in the Caribbean on October 15, became a tropical storm on October 17 when it made an abrupt southwest turn and continued to strengthen, becoming a hurricane on October 18. In the next 24 hours, Wilma exploded into a Cat 5 storm with winds of 185 mph.



Wilma made landfall near Cape Romano with winds of 120 mph. At least 52 deaths were recorded and damages totaled $22.4 billion.


Hurricane Irma 2017

Hurricane Irma was the first Cat 5 storm of the 2017 season, and at the time, it was considered the most powerful hurricane on record in the open Atlantic region. It was the third strongest Atlantic hurricane at landfall just behind the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane.


Irma was born out of a tropical wave near the Cape Verde Islands on August 30, 2017. One day later, Irma was a Cat 3 hurricane, and by September 4, Irma was a Cat 5 with sustained winds of 180 mph. Irma briefly weakened to a Cat 2 after making landfall in Cuba, but re-intensified to a Cat 4 when it made its way into the Florida Straits before coming ashore near Cudjoe Key on September 10. The storm weakened to a Cat 3 prior to making a second landfall on Marco Island later that day.

The Gullah Heritage: From Sea Islands to Florida

By Ellie Bunting • December 27, 2024
In January, the speaker for Estero Island Historic Society’s public meeting will be Martha Bireda, director of the Blanchard House Museum of African American History and Culture of Charlotte County. Ms. Bireda is the great-granddaughter of Queen Evans Andrews, a pioneer who came to Punta Gorda in 1897 from Charleston, South Carolina. She will share stories of the Gullah culture and of her visits with the Gullah people who live on James and Johns Islands. Having just visited the Georgia and South Carolina Coasts, I thought this might be a good time to do a bit of research into the Gullah culture in anticipation of our January meeting.

1921 Tampa Bay Hurricane

By Ellie Bunting • October 8, 2024
Repairing the St. Pete pier after the storm. Florida Archives. As we prepare to run from another hurricane, it might be helpful to reflect upon the 1921 “Tampa Bay” hurricane which hit the Tarpon Springs/Tampa area on October 28, 1921 This was the first major storm to hit the Tampa area since the “Great Gale” of 1848. We can draw a few parallels between this hurricane and what we are now facing with Milton. In 1921, the weather forecasting was not what it is today; rather, the forecast was based on observation sites which reported breezy and cloudy conditions around a low pressure system that was organizing off the coast of Honduras on October 20 and 21. By October 22 and 23, the area of low pressure began to intensify. Winds reached tropical storm force at the observation sites. The sites reported thunderstorms and cloudiness across the Caribbean. 

Labor Day Hurricane 1935

By Ellie Bunting • September 1, 2024
Searching for survivors on Upper Matecumbe Key after the storm. Photo Credit: Creative Commons In the late summer of 1935, the citizens of the Florida Keys were in the depths of the Great Depression. Key West, once a prosperous port city, had declared bankruptcy. Residents were struggling to live on an average monthly income of $7. The city needed a plan to survive so it was decided to rehab the old buildings and re-create Key West as a tourist destination. The government saw this as a way to help the jobless World War I veterans who had been affected by the economic downturn. The vets would be paid $30 a month plus free room and board to come to the Keys and build the bridges and roads that would be needed to support the Key West plan. The men were housed in flimsy shacks built on the shoreline. Residents of the Keys warned that this housing would never survive a hurricane, but their warnings were not heeded. The government plan in case of a storm was to send a special train from Miami to evacuate the vets if a storm approached. Like many plans, this one was not thought through very well. The railroad officials insisted that they would need several hours of lead time to get a train ready and on its way to the Keys.  It was in late August 1935 that a tropical wave came off the coast of Africa heading across the Atlantic towards the Caribbean. At this time, predicting storms was not a science. With no satellite images or hurricane hunter planes, meteorologists were pretty much shooting in the dark with only a newly developed radar to help them predict when or where a storm would hit.

Who Was Jack DeLysle?

By Ellie Bunting • September 1, 2024
Who was Jack DeLysle? I had been reading about him in different articles as I was doing research on the early days on the island. I had come up empty except for one cryptic note I found that he “left the island under mysterious circumstances.” Yesterday, I was going through copies of the Sand Paper that were donated to the historic society and found an article by Jean Matthews that was about Jack DeLysle. This is what I learned about the mystery man who played a pivotal role in the early development of the island. Jack and his brother, John, first appeared in Southwest Florida after their ship ran aground at the moth of Gordon’s Pass. When Sheriff Frank Tippins arrived to investigate the incident, he found 320 boxes of “Soap” that turned out to be whiskey. The brothers had apparently picked up the moonshine in Alabama and sailed to Tampa, then Key West, and finally to Cuba. When they returned to Florida, they were caught in a storm and the ship was wrecked. “Captain” Jack DeLysle claimed he was in the British Army; however, he and John were arrested and turned over to the Feds. Both men were found innocent by a jury in Tampa and Jack returned to Fort Myers where he was into many different endeavors. Although he wrote poetry that he published in the local paper, DeLysle is best known for his efforts to raise money to build a bridge to Fort Myers Beach. He joined the Crescent Bridge Road Company where he met E.E. Damkohler. Damkohler was trying to raise money to build a road from Miner’s Corner to the Island. DeLysle saw potential in Crescent Beach ( old name for Fort Myers Beach)being developed into a tourist mecca like Miami Beach. He purchased property in Case Subdivision and built the Seminole Sands Casino. DeLysle’s casino had a game room with tables and slot machines, changing rooms, a dance pavilion, and a restaurant.

Al Capone and FMB?

By Ellie Bunting • July 3, 2024
Did Al Capone spend a week on Fort Myers Beach back in 1929 or 1930? According to Jean Matthew, Capone and some of his lawyers may have stayed at the home of Dr. Baker Whisnant in Seminole Park. The group consisted of two attorneys and their families, including their children, and of course, Mrs. and Mrs. Capone. Matthews states that the two lawyers who were with Capone rented a beach cottage at the same time they rented the home in Fort Myers. Rumors began spreading around town that Capone and his gang had been seen hanging round in downtown Fort Myers. The cook who worked at the Seminole Park house while the gang was staying there stated that every morning a strange man would appear and eat breakfast at the house, arriving from the beach. Was this mysterious stranger really the infamous Al Capone? The cook’s description of the man sounded like Capone who also had a deep scar on the left side of his face. The strange man never went out during the day. He would stay home and play with the children until evening when he would leave. Other people in town also recall this stranger who may have been the famous gangster. A young gas station attendant who was working at the Standard Oil station on McGregor waited on the stranger. When he was caught staring at the gangster, Capone is reported to have told him, “You know who I am, but kept it under your hat.” Mrs. Whisnant, the owner of the Seminole Park home, said that the group acted strange from the beginning. They didn’t register at a hotel. They immediately sought out the realtor who was in charge of the rental and were brought to the home immediately. They took only a brief time to look over the house before asking to move in in immediately. They didn’t want a phone. They asked about the mail but insisted that their business was all transacted by telegraph. When the group left, and the owner was cleaning up her house, she found many cases of empty liquor bottles. The residents of Seminole Park told her that the renters were not very friendly and stayed to themselves.  After reading this in the Sandpaper, I decided to do a bit more research to get to the truth about Al Capone’s visit to Southwest Florida.

Times Square Through the Decades

By Ellie Bunting • June 14, 2024
The Tip Top was a popular hangout for teens back in the day.

Hurricane Season is Upon Us: Predictions

By Ellie Bunting • June 3, 2024
As we are all still recovering from Hurricane Ian, the news from NOAA that was released this week is a bit intimidating. Forecasters estimate 17- 25 named storms this season with 8-13 reaching hurricane strength. Of these, forecasters predict that 4-7 would be considered “major.” This is not great news, and it gets worse. Florida has a 96% chance of being impacted by one or more of these named storms. If we look at only hurricanes, the probability of a hurricane hitting the sunshine state drops to 75%. This drops even more to 44% when we look only at a ‘major’ hurricane hitting our state.

Preserving Our Environment: The Battle for Estero Bay

By Ellie Bunting • May 7, 2024
While doing research for Lost Icons, I came across a quote in the News-Press that I have cited several times in other articles and presentations. Written in the late 1970s, this quote seems to bring the past and the future together quite nicely: “Nobody really wants to stop progress, but there is an increasing awareness that the island is in danger of becoming a polluted paradise.” Over fifty years ago, the paper stated that Fort Myers Beach was at a crossroads. The 70s were a time of rapid, uncontrolled development with over 68 condos being developed in a single decade. This led residents to vote to incorporate the town so we could control our own destiny and stop the over-development of our island. The newly born town elected its first town council who worked very hard to create a comp plan that would guide our development and preserve our island lifestyle. This plan was completed in 1995 and had served us well until Hurricane Ian damaged every building on the island. Now that we are in the rebuilding mode, we are once again at a crossroads: Do we stick to the comp plan and turn down the developers who want to build higher and bigger? So far, the council has been carefully considering all arguments and is making logical decisions trying to keep as close to the comp plan as possible. The council and residents need to tread carefully to make sure, in our efforts to build back, we spend time anticipating the unintended consequences of building back bigger. One very good example of this is the recent attempt of two legislators to take back 225 acres that are part of the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve. (More on this in another post). This was not the first time our beautiful back bay was threatened. Let’s go back to the 1960s when a group of concerned residents decided to take action to preserve the beauty of our back bay. Back to the Future

Home Buying Today

By Ellie Bunting • April 27, 2024
Is It Getting More Affordable to Buy a Home? Over the past year or so, a lot of people have been talking about how tough it is to buy a home . And while there’s no arguing affordability is still tight, there are signs it’s starting to get a bit better and may improve even more throughout the year. Elijah de la Campa, Senior Economist at Redfin, says : “ We’re slowly climbing our way out of an affordability hole, but we have a long way to go. Rates have come down from their peak and are expected to fall again by the end of the year, which should make homebuying a little more affordable and incentivize buyers to come off the sidelines.” Here’s a look at the latest data for the three biggest factors that affect home affordability: mortgage rates , home prices , and wages. 1. Mortgage Rates Mortgage rates have been volatile this year – bouncing around in the upper 6% to low 7% range. That’s still quite a bit higher than where they were a couple of years ago. But there is a sliver of good news.  Despite the recent volatility, rates are still lower than they were last fall when they reached nearly 8% . On top of that, most experts still think they’ll come down some over the course of the year. A recent article from Bright MLS explains : “ Expect rates to come down in the second half of 2024 but remain above 6% this year. Even a modest drop in rates will bring both more buyers and more sellers into the market.” Any drop in rates can make a difference for you. When rates go down, you can afford the home you really want more easily because your monthly payment would be lower. 2. Home Prices The second big factor to think about is home prices . Most experts project they’ll keep going up this year, but at a more normal pace. That’s because there are more homes on the market this year, but still not enough for everyone who wants to buy one. The graph below shows the latest 2024 home price forecasts from seven different organizations :

Treasure and Dead Bodies

By Ellie Bunting • April 26, 2024
Did WC Zimmerman Discover a Lost Treasure on What is Now San Carlos Island?  Although I really enjoy researching and writing about local history, I am also a sucker for local legends and lore, so when I was given an article taken from a 1897 issue of a newspaper called Fisherman and Farmer, I knew I had to do a deeper dive.
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