September 15, 2026 - The 1926 Great Miami Hurricane: A century of science advancing warnings from hours to days

September 18, 2026, marks the 100th anniversary of the 1926 Great Miami Hurricane, which saw significant loss of life and massive economic impact, especially across the Miami metro area. The limitations of forecasts and the warning process at the time combined with a widespread unfamiliarity with hurricanes greatly contributed to its impact, but today serve to highlight how much weather communication has improved in the century since.

NOAA Historical Hurricane Track

Forecast history: The initial warnings

The 1926 Great Miami Hurricane originated east of the Leeward Islands and gradually moved northwestward across the tropical Atlantic. The U.S. Weather Bureau office in Miami (predecessor of the current National Weather Service), first learned of the system via ship reports in the central tropical Atlantic on September 11.

Richard Gray, Officer in Charge of the Miami Weather Bureau, relayed the reports to the Weather Bureau Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and the first "Northeast storm warning" for the Florida east coast was issued at noon on September 17. By 11 p.m. that night, a Hurricane Warning was issued. Unfortunately, it provided less than six hours for preparations and finding safe shelter, and, because many residents were asleep, they did not receive the warning until the next morning. Some reported that Gray ran through the streets of Miami shouting the warning out loud in an effort to alert residents to take action.

In the early morning hours of September 18, the large Category 4 hurricane is estimated to have made landfall near Palmetto Bay, about 10 miles south of downtown Miami, with hurricane-force winds extending approximately 100 miles from the Upper Keys up to southern parts of Palm Beach County.

The landfall that occurred as people slept

The late night timing of the first Hurricane Warning was a critical factor that contributed to the loss of life. By the time many residents awoke, the eye of the hurricane was already tearing across the Florida Peninsula.

Another factor was the public's lack of hurricane knowledge, described by Gray in the Weather Bureau Record. He indicated that the center of the storm reached the Miami area during the early morning hours of September 18, with its large eye bringing a temporary calm in winds that lasted for about 35 minutes. People caught inside the eye also experienced a brief period of clearing skies, which led them to mistakenly believe that the storm had passed. Guided by a false sense of safety, many residents went outside to assess the damage and begin the recovery process, unprepared for the even more destructive second half that was about to descend upon them.

Overall, 114 lives were lost in the Miami area, with many people unaccounted for.

Floy Cooke Mitchell, wife of former mayor of Boca Raton, J.C. Mitchell, described her experience to the Boca Raton Historical Society in 1978: "We survived the 1926 Hurricane, our first one, and I hoped it would be our last. I have never been so frightened in my life! We didn't know that all windows should be covered in a hurricane. I watched freight cars blown off the tracks in that one hundred and fifty mile an hour wind, and telegraph poles snap like toothpicks. The building was a wreck-most of the windows broken; much of the roof was blown off and the water damage was terrific."

The strongest winds reached over 145 mph. At 8:12 am on September 18, the anemometer at the Allison Hospital building reported winds of 138 mph before it was blown off the roof.

The hurricane also brought a large storm surge across the Miami area. The surge penetrated miles inland, with several feet of water inundating hotels and residences and pushing many boats and coastal structures several blocks inland from the bay. Pictures taken right after the hurricane show how the force of the winds carried small recreational boats, large sailing vessels, cargo ships, and even barges several blocks inland.

Fast forward: 100 years of hurricane science

The 1926 Great Miami Hurricane was a significant reminder of nature's destructive power that underscored the need for hurricane preparedness, awareness of the dangers associated with hurricanes, and communication of forecasts that give people enough time to act.

A century ago, the people in Miami did not know what to do at the most critical of moments, and the combination of limited observational capabilities and warning methods significantly contributed to a worst-case scenario of the public's hurricane response.

Over the past 100 years, however, the National Weather Service has grown and our approach has become significantly more strategic. NOAA's National Hurricane Center (NHC) and the National Hurricane Research Project were established in 1955, leading the way to improving tropical cyclone forecasts. The integration of radar, satellite, and aircraft reconnaissance data, alongside radio, television, the internet, and wireless systems has created a much more robust infrastructure for rapid and efficient communication, bringing awareness of potential tropical cyclone formation up to seven days in advance.

During hurricane season, NHC issues a Tropical Weather Outlook, which provides an overview of areas requiring monitoring. When a hurricane forms, NOAA scientists are ready, collecting data that contributes hurricane forecasts through models, technology, and hurricane flights. This valuable, real-time data is used by hurricane specialists at the NHC to produce a comprehensive suite of text and graphical products issued and updated every six hours. The NHC has also expanded its community outreach by increasing its social media presence on X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Through these platforms, experts break down the technical forecast products into simpler formats to ensure a clearer understanding of hazardous conditions and the potential evolution of any tropical systems.

Prepared for the future

While Southeast Florida has experienced at least 41 direct landfalling hurricanes since 1900, the area has not experienced the landfall of a major hurricane since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The Miami metro area is also now home to a fast-growing population of over 2.7 million people, driven in part by a steady influx of new residents who have never personally witnessed the devastation that a major hurricane is capable of inflicting.

This dynamic by itself could again lead to residents unprepared for a hurricane. However, the last century's technological leaps in observations, forecasting and communication now play a vital role in protecting lives and property.

As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1926 Miami Hurricane, we recognize not just the great advancements that have been made in forecast and warning technology and science, but the crucial necessity of hurricane preparedness. That responsibility is greater than ever, and the National Weather Service strives to help you and your community remain informed and vigilant so you're prepared to respond quickly and effectively to hurricanes and beyond.