The storm's aftermath in West Palm Beach

The 1928 Okeechobee hurricane was the second deadliest tropical cyclone ever in the United States, after the 1900 Galveston hurricane. The only major hurricane of its season, it struck Guadeloupe as a Category 4 storm on September 12, causing 1,200 deaths. The islands of Martinique, Montserrat, and Nevis also reported damage and fatalities. After sustained winds peaked at 160 mph (260 km/h) the next day, the storm became the only Category 5 hurricane ever to hit Puerto Rico; 24,728 homes were destroyed and 192,444 were damaged, leaving 312 people dead and over 500,000 homeless. Early on September 17, the storm made landfall in Florida near Lake Okeechobee with winds of 145 mph (233 km/h). The storm surge forced water out of the southern edge of the lake, spreading floodwaters as high as 20 feet (6.1 m) over hundreds of square miles. Houses were swept away in the cities of Belle Glade, Canal Point, Chosen, Pahokee, and South Bay, and at least 2,500 people drowned. The tropical storm also hit Georgia and the Carolinas. Overall, the system caused $100 million in damage and at least 4,079 deaths. ( Full article...)

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First Congregational Church of Albany

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The Airbus A321 on board which an explosion occurred

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February 7

Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier

• 457 – Leo I was crowned Byzantine emperor, and went on to rule for nearly 20 years.
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