11/05/2026
I’ve driven past this monument in Islamorada more times than I can count. But every time I stop and think about what happened here, it hits me a little differently. Behind this peaceful place is one of the most heartbreaking chapters in Florida Keys history. 🕊️
On Labor Day, September 2, 1935, one of the most powerful hurricanes in American history devastated the Upper Keys, taking more than 400 lives.
Among the victims were World War I veterans who had survived the battlefields of Europe, only to lose their lives here in the Keys. An evacuation train was sent to rescue them, but it arrived too late.
Today, the Hurricane Monument in Islamorada stands as a memorial and final resting place for many of those who perished.
We often celebrate the Florida Keys for their turquoise waters, sunsets, and laid-back way of life. But places like this remind me that there’s so much more to these islands than their beauty.
These weren’t just numbers in a history book. They were people with families, dreams, and futures that never came to be.
Nearly a century later, their stories still deserve to be told.
May we never forget them. ❤️🕊️
📍 Hurricane Monument | Islamorada, Florida
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