The Cedar Keys Hurricane of 1896: Disaster at Dawn

by Alvin F. Oickle

Families watched in horror as walls of water swept away homes and businesses, and men held onto saplings for their lives while the winds howled.
The destruction was beyond belief. Buildings on Atsena Otie were swept away so completely that only cracked stone foundations remained, and the forests of red cedar that gave the islands their name and livelihood were flattened. Resulting in dozens of deaths and millions of dollars in damage, Hurricane Number 4 in 1896 changed the Cedar Keys forever and set the city on a path to the present. Historian Alvin F. Oickle, drawing on firsthand accounts and extensive archival research, tells the story of ordinary Floridians who were faced, like so many before and so many since, with nature's fury.

131 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2009

Reviews

[Paul Lannuier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting historical account of the 1896 storm that nearly washed the Cedar Keys off the map. I’d have given the book 3.5 stars but for the fact that Cedar Key is my adopted home and so many of the names and places are familiar to me. I know many descendants of people mentioned in the book, which makes it a far more interesting read to me than it would, say, someone who has never even heard of Cedar Key or might be expecting something more narrative like Isaac’s Storm, Erik Larson’s excellent book about the 1900 Galveston hurricane.

[Robert Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the predicted disaster of Hurricane Milton (not as bad but still terrible) I searched Florida Hurricanes on Cloud Library. Came across this book, interesting read, about Hurricane #4 in 1896. Weather forecasting was just beginning and it was difficult, if not impossible, to get storm information to these barrier islands off the Gulf Coast of Florida. While the book details the wind, the storm surge and devastation, it also provides a look into the culture, economy and life of Cedar Key and surrounding islands. Lots of detail and footnotes.