All, their is a story in my family that an ancestor of ours emigrated to the USA "grew Oranges and died in a hurricane". Lovely story but up till now had no real info to prove or disprove it. However, I have discovered that a relative of mine called Lillian Greatorex married a Philip Beard here in the UK around 1908. Family legend has it that they emigrated to the USA. I have definate information that she was in Florida in 1924 in company with her brother John Henry Greatorex but no mention of her husband. However, in 1936 I have mention of her again but this time she is called Lillian Macomber, wife of a Guy Macomber. They were resident in Montgomery AL. Now I understand that in the early part of the 20th Century many people were killed in Hurricanes. Is their somewhere any sort of data base or reference I can consult to see if this Philip Beard is listed? This may give me sort of idea as to where they were resident and maybe find them in the 1920 or even 1910 Census. Reagrds Mike Greatorex Harrogate England Looking for All Greatorex's in Blyth/Worksop/Sheffield and Orange Co, NY, USA

Mike, To help you a little bit, I copied my record of Florida storms for you. I don't know if I have all of them in the time period. The one before 1919 was in 1880s, so I think that would be too early for you. 1919, Sep 9: Key West was struck by a hurricane on this date which claimed 300 lives in Key West. The US Weather bureau had estimated the damage at $2 million. In 1990 current money that would amount to about $40 million. 1921Tampa Bay/Tarpon Springs The tide in Tampa Bay was 10.5 feet. The barometric pressure was 29.11", and the winds were 100 MPH 1926, 10 Sep: Today the City of Miami prepared for a hurricane with winds of more than 135 mph. For more than two weeks, south Florida residents worried about when and where the storm would hit. More than 18,000 homes were destroyed, 5,000 injured, and more than 850 killed when the hurricane finally came ashore on the 17th. 1928, Sep 6: The Belle Glade and Palm Beach area was devastated by a hurricane. The Great Lake Okeechobee hurricane struck Florida as a Category 4 storm, with winds pushing lake waters to a storm surge of more than 15 feet. The area surrounding the lake's south end, occupied primarily by migrant agricultural workers, flooded. The Red Cross's death toll count reached 1,836, but additional bodies and skeletons were discovered after the end of the Red Cross count. In response to this disaster, the US Army Corps of Engineers built dikes around the lake to prevent a recurrence. 1933, Sep 4:An unnamed hurricane struck the east coast of FL on this date. More than "4 million boxes of citrus were blown from the trees statewide", according to John M. Williams and Iver W. Duedall in the revised edition of "Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Stoms" (Gainesville: univ Press of FL, 1997). The US Weather Bureau reports that "The property loss in Indian River, St Lucie and Palm Bch Counties, was probably about $2 million dollars, ($25 million in 1990 dollars.)" 1935, 2 Sep:The Overseas Railroad in Monroe County ceased operations following extensive hurricane damage. Over 120 miles of railroad was destroyed and 577 individuals were killed by this devastating storm. The destruction of the Florida East Coast bridges between the Keys ended the dream of the late Henry Flagler of extending his road to Cuba and beyond. The Overseas Highway was built to replace the railroad, using many of the same casements. This hurricane was rated as a Category 5 hurricane, the only one known to have hit the Florida Peninsula before Hurricane Andrew. 1945, Sep 14: The Richmond Naval Air Station, the large blimp base south of Miami, was struck by hurricane winds today. As a result of fires caused by the wind damage and the rapidity with which the flames spread, damage was severe. Three of the world's largest hangars, 25 blimps, 183 military airplanes, and 150 automobiles were destroyed. An additional 153 civilian planes were destroyed. Overall damage was estimated at $35 million. 1950, Sep 5: Hurricane Easy struck the south west coast from Yankeetown to Cedar Key. This unusual storm with winds of 125 mph produced the single greatest 24 hour rainfall in Florida since records have been kept. Over today and tomorrow Sep 5 & 6th 38.7 inches of rain fell at Yankeetown. 1950, Sep 6: Rain continued today along the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Easy slowly moved along. In Yankeetown, residents faced rising flood waters from the 38.7 inches of rain that would eventually fall. 1960, Sep: Hurricane Donna a category 4 hurricane came ashore between Naples and Ft Myers. 1960, 11 Sep: Today, President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared the Florida Keys and parts of Central Florida "disaster areas" following the more than $1 billion in damages wrought by Hurricane Donna. 1964, 25 Aug: Hurricane Cleo struck Ft Lauderdale with 130mph winds. The storm continued throughout the early morning hours. 1964, Sep 9: Hurricane Dora swept across north Florida after coming ashore near St. Augustine. The storm's 125 mph winds produced a storm surge of 12-15 feet and, together, the elements did more than $250 million in damages (1$billion in 1990 dollars). This was the first hurricane to strike Florida north of Stuart since the Hurricane of 1880. 1965, Sep 7 : Hurricane Betsy, a Category 3, struck southern Florida with winds between 120 and 145 mph. 1972, 21 June Hurricane Agnes struck FL with a vengeance today. In her stay in the Sunshine State, 25 people died.where? 1979, 2 Sep: Residents of Ft lauderdale braced for the onslaught of Hurricane David, located about 75 miles east of the city. David packed winds of approximately 85 mph and was expected to make landfall in the early morning hours of Sep 3. 1988 21 Aug: Hurricane Chris battered Florida's east coast from Miami to Jax. 1988 Nov22-24: Hurricane Keith, Hit and came in the west shore of FL between Tampa and Ft Myers at 65 mph. It exited the state on the 24th between Melbourne and Cape Canaveral. 1992 Aug 21:Wary South Floridians were keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Andrew as it made its way across the Atlantic. On this day, Andrew sat about 600 miles east of Nassau with sustained winds of 65 miles an hour. 1992, Aug 22: This morning, Floridians were informed that Tropical Storm Andrew was now Hurricane Andrew, with winds of 76 mph. At 11pm meterologists reported that Hurricane Andrew sported winds of 110 mph, and was located about 500 miles east of Miami, and was still moving west toward the Florida coast. 1992, Aug 23: Hurricane Andrew reached classification as a Category 4 hurricane today. Located about 300 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Greatorex" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, June 30, 2002 2:44 AM Subject: [FLORIDA] Hurricane deaths > All, their is a story in my family that an ancestor of ours emigrated to the > USA "grew Oranges and died in a hurricane". > > Lovely story but up till now had no real info to prove or disprove it. > However, I have discovered that a relative of mine called Lillian Greatorex > married a Philip Beard here in the UK around 1908. Family legend has > it that they emigrated to the USA. I have definate information that she > was in Florida in 1924 in company with her brother John Henry Greatorex > but no mention of her husband. > > However, in 1936 I have mention of her again but this time she is called > Lillian Macomber, wife of a Guy Macomber. They were resident in > Montgomery AL. > > Now I understand that in the early part of the 20th Century many people > were killed in Hurricanes. Is their somewhere any sort of data base or > reference I can consult to see if this Philip Beard is listed? This may give > me sort of idea as to where they were resident and maybe find them in > the 1920 or even 1910 Census. > > Reagrds > > Mike Greatorex > Harrogate > England > Looking for All Greatorex's in Blyth/Worksop/Sheffield and Orange Co, NY, USA >