On August 26, 1949, a Category 4 hurricane, later known as the Delray Beach Hurricane, made landfall near Lake Worth, Florida. The storm brought sustained winds of approximately 130 miles per hour and wind gusts up to 160 miles per hour.
The hurricane caused extensive damage across South Florida. In Palm Beach County, 65 homes were destroyed and more than 13,000 were damaged. In Stuart, Martin County, about 40 percent of homes and commercial buildings were severely affected.
Across the state, approximately 18,000 homes were damaged and more than 1,000 structures were destroyed.
Agricultural and property losses in Florida totaled an estimated $45 million. The storm caused two direct fatalities in Florida, with another death recorded in Georgia, bringing the total to three fatalities in the United States.
