Killer 'Cane: The Deadly Hurricane of 1928

Every adult who lives within 50 miles of the Atlantic or Gulf coasts of the United States should read Killer Cane. Hurricanes are deadly, but quiet hurricane seasons in the past decade have given coastal residents a sense that hurricanes won't hit them. But they will. I survived two hurricanes, and they were pure horror. They were Category One hurricanes, the weakest kind, but they tore off roofs and smashed property like gigantic maniacs.Robert Mykle's fine book describes a Category Four hurricane that came ashore near Palm Beach in 1928. A Category One hurricane causes some damage, while a Category Five causes complete destruction, so you can imagine the strength of a Category Four. But destruction didn't stop at the coast. The hurricane moved inland to rip into the farming communities at the south end of Lake Okeechobee, 40-50 miles inland from Palm Beach. Winds of 150 miles-per-hour and more than 12 inches of rain destroyed almost everything in its path, and killed some 2000 people. The real cost of this disaster is the effect on its victims, and Mykle introduces us to many of the doomed families as they go about their business, not knowing that the day after tomorrow will be their last on earth. We come to care about them. We mourn those killed and feel the suffering of survivors in the aftermath. This is a great strength of the book, and Robert Mykle has done a terific job of presenting a harrowing story in human terms. It is well worth reading.

I grew up in this area during the forties and fifties.I attended high school with many decedants of the victims and survivers of this disaster.The book seems to be quiet accurate and hits the nail on the head .It amazes me that it has to be the best kept secret of all diasters.I live in the neighboring state of Georgia,and when I ask people in this area about the storm no one has a clue.At the time it was the third worst disaster to have occured ,in terms of lives lost. What a shame.

"Killer 'Cane" is an excellent book, written in a fresh and exacting style, with the details that make it come alive. Like the other great books of the disaster genre, like Walter Lord's "Titanic" and the Jim Bishop books about presidential assassinations, "Killer 'Cane" takes the reader right into the scene: Belle Glade, Florida Everglades, 1928, when a monstrous hurricane swept in without warning. Mykle gives us a large cast of real-life people, and fills us in on their stories, on what had brought them to the area, on their aspirations for a future which for many, never came. It's a slight bit confusing as he jumps around to scenes from the past, juxtapositioning them with the current life of the area and its characters. That said, it's satisfying to piece it all together. As an absorbing movie does, this book engages us with the characters and causes us at times to hold our breath as we await the outcome of their fates. Mykle writes well, using a wide vocabulary and an authentic descriptive style to present not only the people, but the land, and then the storm, as well. This book will keep you riveted until you finish it. Kudoes to Mykle, and the highest recommendation for his work.

Robert Mykle's superbly researched book is fascinating reading for anyone interested in hurricane history and South Florida. Mr Mykle has woven the personal stories of families as they endured tragic devastation and death, with a focus on the even sadder accounts of the fates of African-Americans who also suffered from the destructive attitudes of the times.(My grandparents often told of climbing up to the attic during that storm of 1928 in their Moore Haven office/apartment as the water rose and the winds raged, and of clinging to each other and the attic beams, praying that the winds died before the building did. They survived, but knew many from "across the lake" who disappeared or drowned.)Author Mykle brings the area, the community, and its residents to vivid life, with a sense of place and times that is equal to the best of the finest writers and historians. The book is worth owning for the extensive bibliogrpahy alone!

Killer 'Cane is not solely a book on the devastation that occurred in Florida by the humongous, yet forgotten, hurricane of 1928. It also goes into the history of Florida, explaining why the pioneers were attracted to Florida, their struggle, and how, at the pinnacle of their success, their lives were changed forever.I enjoyed reading the history of Florida and I was also gripped and amazed by the stories of those who survived the hurricane. It is scary to think that such destruction and horror can occur anywhere near the coast. Yet even though approximately 2,400 people died, this hurricane and the lives destroyed by it was practically forgotten. This hurricane was the deadliest in the history of Florida, yet no one has heard about it. At least this book tales the stories of those who survived and now, hopefully, they won't be forgotten again.