1926 Havana–Bermuda hurricane

The hurricane made two separate landfalls on Cuba as a Category 4 hurricane on October 20. As it made landfall, numerous weather stations reported low barometric pressures. Barometers in Güira de Melena and Cojímar both recorded a barometric pressure of 939 mbar (hPa; 27.73 inHg) while located in the hurricane's eyewall. In Havana, a barometer registered a pressure of 951 mbar (hPa; 28.09 inHg) after recording a 34 mbar (hPa; 1.00 inHg) drop in pressure in 30 minutes.[2] Offshore, strong waves damaged or sunk a large number of ships, including 40 fishing vessels. Small craft in harbors were also swept out to sea. Some ships part of the Cuban Navy were damaged, including the light cruiser Patria. The steamer Maximo Gomez broke from its harbor mooringss, causing it to collide and damage other ships before it was beached. Other foreign vessels, including one from the French West India Company were sunk.[2]

On Isla de la Juventud, a majority of homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed, including an 80-year-old church that withstood many hurricanes. In Nueva Gerona, many buildings were destroyed. Only two dwellings remained standing in Santa Fe. Throughout the island, at least 38 deaths occurred and more than 200 other people were injured.[5]

In Havana, 20.08 in (510 mm) of rain fell on October 20.[2] A tidal wave overtopped the Malecón – a seawall built in 1900 by Leonard Wood to project the city – causing much of the damage. The seawall instead prevented water from flowing back into the Straits of Florida. Densely-population low-lying sections of the city were inundated,[6] with water reaching several meters high up to three to four streets inland.[7] People in inundated areas were forced to evacuate to emergency shelters.[8] The hurricane's effects destroyed at least 325 buildings and homes in the city. Some gas and oil tanks were destroyed,[9] while the Havana Oil Company elevator was reduced to a mass of twisted steel. The Havana Automobile Company's headquarters suffered severe window damage due to the strong winds.[9] An antenna tower was also blown down by strong winds.[10] Power outages were widespread across other affected regions.[9] At least 58 fatalities occurred in Havana, many of which were caused by people being struck by collapsing walls or flying debris.[7]

Water and electric supply to the suburb of Marianao was cut off by the hurricane. Trees along a road from Marianao to Havana were uprooted.[9] In the tourist section, the casino, jai alai buildings, and race track suffered only minor damage, though the bathing pavilion was demolished.[11] At the Oriental Park Racetrack, numerous homes were destroyed.[9] Thirteen people died in Mariano, with five by drowning after local rivers rose and eight from collapsing buildings.[11] About 25 percent of barracks in Camp Columbia were damaged. A monument in the suburbs of Havana dedicated to victims of an explosion on USS Maine was destroyed by high floodwaters.[9] Hundreds of dwellings were destroyed in several other suburbs of Havana, including 175 homes in Bauta and 148 homes in Cojímar, while only seven homes remained standing in Bainoa. A total of 207 homes were also flattened in San José de las Lajas, where 13 fatalities were reported. Extensive damage to waterfront properties occurred in Matanzas. Five people were killed and 154 others were injured in the city.[11] In Quinta de Los Molinos, the National Horticultural Garden, which was said to have the largest variety of tropical plants in the world – was completely destroyed.[9]

Police were later ordered by President of Cuba Gerardo Machado to shoot people attempting to loot without warning.[9] Two relief committees were formed, quickly collecting nearly $100 million. Private and government trucks were used to reach isolated, inland communities. The people in Havana rendered homeless by the hurricane were provided with food and water.[12]

While the storm was just offshore Cuba on early October 20, the Weather Bureau issued warnings in Florida for the approaching system. A hurricane warning was hoisted from Punta Gorda to West Palm Beach. Additionally, northeast storm warnings were issued north of Punta Gorda to Boca Grande along the west coast and north of West Palm Beach to Titusville on the east coast. In Miami, policemen and legionnaires board up their homes and then report for duty. At the city jail, prisoners were released and were required to return on their own honor. Courthouses and schools were also closed and boarded up. A few hospitals, such as Jackson Memorial, were filled with nurses and physicians and left ambulances on standby.[13] The Miami YMCA housed about 100 people in the gymnasium.[14] Some people sought refuge at hotels in Coral Gables.[15] The storm caused generally minor damage in South Florida. Strong winds were reported for four hours in Key West, with sustained winds reaching as high as 90 mph (140 km/h). However, there was little impact other than broken windows and downed street signs.[16] In Key Largo, several dwellings were declared "total wrecks", while houses along the waterfront had several feet of standing water. The city suffered "greater than [during] the previous hurricane."[17] Four barges were beached at Biscayne Bay. In Miami, a trolley wire and a few feeder wires fell. About 2,500 Florida Power & Light crewmen shutoff the electricity and promptly repaired the wires. Some streets in Miami Shores were covered with a small amount of debris. A canal rose 1 ft (0.30 m) in Hialeh, causing flooding on the south side.[15]

Painting of HMS Valerian in the hurricane

In Bermuda, 40% of the structures were damaged and two homes destroyed, but otherwise damage was light in the harbor.[18] While weather forecasters knew of the storm's approach on Bermuda, it covered the thousand miles from the Bahamas to Bermuda so rapidly it apparently struck with few warning signs aside from heavy swells. On October 21, with the eye of the storm still 700 mi (1,130 km) from Bermuda, weather forecasts from the United States called for the hurricane to strike the island on the following morning with gale force. The Arabis-class sloop HMS Valerian, based at the HMD Bermuda, was returning from providing hurricane relief in the Bahamas and was overtaken by the storm shortly before she could make harbour. Unable to enter through Bermuda's reefline, she fought the storm for more than five hours before she was sunk with the loss of 85 men.[19] The British merchant ship Eastway was also sunk near Bermuda. Although the Valerian's commanding officer, Commander Usher, reported that there was no sign of a major storm at 08:00, when his ship was in sight of Bermuda, and when the British Army meteorologists at Prospect Camp measured the wind at 28 mph (45 km/h), by 10:00, the winds had reached 95 mph (153 km/h). When the centre of the storm passed over Bermuda at noon, the winds dropped to 8 mph (13 km/h), then increased to 114 mph (183 km/h), whereupon the Army took down its anemometer to protect it. The Royal Naval Dockyard was being hammered and never took its anemometer down. It measured 138 mph (222 km/h) at 13:00 UTC (about the same time the Valerian went down), before the wind destroyed it.[20][21]