The 1928 Lake Okeechobee Hurricane was the second most deadly in U.S. history behind the 1900 Galviston Hurricane. The Category 5 Hurricane first hit Puerto Rico before moving to Florida with winds sustained at 160 MPH. The path of the hurricane took it directly over Lake Okeechobee which is the largest lake in Florida and headwaters of the Everglades. The Lake Okeechobee Hurricane raised the water level by at least 20 feet and wiped out many of the surrounding communities. In total it is estimated that there was at least 2,500 fatalities related to the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane in Florida. A general list of the communities destroyed by the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane include; Port Mayaca, Sand Cut, Canal Point, Pahokee, Belle Glade, South Bay, Okeelanta, Bean City, Ritta Island, Lake Harbor, Chosen, and Kreamer Island. Some communities like Belle Glade eventually were rebuilt but others became ghost towns largely wiped clean. In response to the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane the H
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