100 Years Later: New Glimpses of the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926

September 2026

On September 18, 1926, one of the most destructive hurricanes in Miami’s history struck South Florida. The Great Miami Hurricane brought powerful winds, storm surge and widespread destruction to a city that had grown dramatically during the Florida land boom. One hundred years later, materials preserved in the Miami-Dade Public Library System’s Special Collections offer a firsthand look at the storm and its aftermath.

Recently, while reviewing Special Collections holdings, staff came across a set of photographs documenting Miami in the days immediately following the hurricane. The photographs have no known provenance, so we do not know who took them or how they came to the Library. However, handwritten notes identify locations and dates ranging from September 18 to September 21, 1926, beginning on the day the hurricane struck.

These images document damage at familiar Miami landmarks and neighborhoods, including Riverside Park, Brickell Avenue, Bayfront Park, Lummus Park and Jungle Park. Fallen trees, damaged structures, debris and altered landscapes reveal what residents encountered as they began assessing the destruction.

The photographs also document the immediate response to the disaster, including National Guard personnel assisting recovery efforts in the days following the hurricane. Some images are dated as early as September 20, 1926, providing an unusually immediate visual record of both the storm’s impact and the first recovery efforts.

Another remarkable record preserved in the Library’s Special Collections is the scrapbook Miami - Florida Hurricane, compiled by Miami Daily News columnist Robert M. Decker. Through its preserved photographs and newspaper articles, the scrapbook offers a compelling visual record of the Great Miami Hurricane and its impact on Miami.

The scrapbook appears to be mostly photographs, although I’m not sure if they are all photos or if some are image clippings from newspapers. Please confirm what’s in the scrapbook and edit as needed.

As Miami marks the 100th anniversary of the Great Miami Hurricane, these materials are a reminder of why preserving local history matters. A handwritten date on the back of a photograph, an unidentified image or a scrapbook compiled a century ago can become an important connection to a moment that transformed our community.

To explore the complete set of photographs and the 1926 hurricane scrapbook in the Library’s Digital Collections, click here.