Labor Day Hurricane of 1935

Hurricane Three

Category 5 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Weather Bureau surface weather map of the hurricane moving up the west coast of Florida
Formed	August 29, 1935
Dissipated	September 10, 1935
(Extratropical after September 6)
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 185 mph (295 km/h)
Lowest pressure	892 mbar (hPa); 26.34 inHg (Lowest recorded in continental United States)
Fatalities	408 total
Areas affected	The Bahamas Florida Keys, Southwest and North Florida (Big Bend) Georgia The Carolinas Virginia
Part of the 1935 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane was the most intense hurricane to make landfall in the United States on record, as well as the 3rd most intense Atlantic hurricane ever. The second tropical cyclone, second hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 1935 Atlantic hurricane season, the Labor Day Hurricane was the first of three Category 5 hurricanes to strike the United States at that intensity during the 20th century (the other two being 1969's Hurricane Camille and 1992's Hurricane Andrew). After forming as a weak tropical storm east of the Bahamas on August 29, it slowly proceeded westward and became a hurricane on September 1.

On Long Key it struck about midway through the calm. The waters quickly receded after carving new channels connecting the bay with the ocean. But gale force winds and high seas persisted into Tuesday, preventing rescue efforts. The storm continued northwest along the Florida west coast, weakening before its second landfall near Cedar Key, Florida, on September 4.

The compact and intense hurricane caused extreme damage in the upper Florida Keys, as a storm surge of approximately 18 to 20 feet (5.5–6 meters) 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. The hurricane also caused additional damage in northwest Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.