The Storm of 1935 - 90 years ago

On Sept. 2, 1935, one of the most treacherous storms to ever hit North America, brought death and destruction to Islamorada.  The storm was the most significant event ever for the Islamorada community. The Category 5 hurricane, with sustained winds reaching as much as 200 mph, claimed the lives of more than 420 people. The hurricane devastated Islamorada and destroyed portions of the Florida East Coast Railway.

Henry Flagler had connected Key West to the U.S. mainland with the completion of his overseas railroad in 1912, often considered the 8th Wonder of the World. It operated until the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935.

But travel to the southernmost city in the U.S. was not cut off for long. The railroad was never rebuilt and instead the railroad right of way became the right of way for the Overseas Highway. The Overseas Highway opened March 29, 1938, less than 3 years after the storm of 1935. The popularity and subsequent conversion of the Flagler railroad route to Key West, as the busy Overseas Highway, remains a legacy benefiting residents, visitors and the economy of the Florida Keys.