Hurricane Donna moved slowly through southern Florida, at approximately 14 mph, subjecting 
the area to damaging winds for nearly 36 hrs. In the Flamingo area, estimated sustained winds 
were 140 mph with gusts to 180 mph or more. High storm tides in Florida Bay and along the 
lower Gulf Coast contributed greatly to the damage. Maximum storm tide at Flamingo was 12 ft 
above the normal high tide. Hurricane damage to the vegetation was generally most severe in 
the mangrove belt and on the keys in the western portion of Florida Bay. This area, except for a 
small section from Little Madeira Bay eastward, was within the path of the wall cloud of Donna, 
where the strongest winds were located. Storm damage lessened inland away from the storm 
center and wall cloud. However, this was extremely erratic, depending on the eccentricities of 
the wind, the type and size of vegetation, character of the soil, and other factors. 
The 1935 Hurricane virtually demolished the mature mangrove forest along the mainland coast 
of Florida Bay around Flamingo and Cape Sable. Estimated wind velocities up to 200 mph and a 
hurricane tide of 11 to 18 ft were reported for this storm. The forest in the Flamingo area was 
a fine mature stand of red, white and black mangroves, and buttonwood, called the "black 
forest" by some of the former residents. Trunks of many large dead trees killed in the 1935 
storm were still standing when Donna struck. Some living trees, survivors of the 1935 storm, 
were also present. Most of these survivors were killed, but a small number were recovering at 
the time of the damage survey by Craighead and Gilbert (1962). These large black mangroves 
were conspicuous above the broken remains of the second growth forest that developed since 
the 1935 storm. The most severe damage in the mangrove belt from Hurricane Donna occurred 
from Madeira Bay westward to Shark River. Between Flamingo and West Lake there are many 
places where all of the trees over 2 in in diameter were sheared off 6 to 10 ft above the 
ground. 
In general, the severity of damage to Florida Bay keys increased from the eastern half of the 
Bay westward to Sandy Key. This damage was erratic, but it was chiefly the southeastern 
portions of these keys where defoliation and breakage was most severe. Coconut palms 
suffered severely. The large clump on the north end of Buoy Key was torn away. On Clive Key, 
only seven out of about twenty coconut palms were left standing. Palm Key, before this storm, 
supported about fifty large cabbage palms. Many of these had survived the 1935 storm but all, 
except for three of the larger palms, were torn away. Sixty-seven of the younger trees 6-10 
ft tall survived. Thatch palms fared much better. On Clive Key, some 30 - 40 remained 
standing. Four were blown down but were expected to continue to grow. Many of the thatch 
palms in the vicinity of Fan Palm Hammock were flattened by the 1935 hurricane, but 
nevertheless many of these lived and developed new upright trunks. Measurements and 
comparisons of the relative length of the flat and upright portion indicated these palms to be 
over 100 yrs of age. The larger cabbage palmettos on Palm Key are probably about the same 
age. 
Several larger islands in Florida Bay, including Palm, Oyster, Clive, Murray, Man o' War, and 
Otter Keys, were examined in more detail on foot. These keys were highest on the levee-like 
rim just inside the mangroves where they support some hardwood trees. The interior was 
covered by several species of grasses and salt tolerant plants depending on the elevation, 
becoming more sparse toward the lowest central ground which was a bare marl flat covered 
with water in the rainy season. The mangrove rims were badly broken, especially on the east 
and south sides, and the broken trees were carried across and piled up on the north and western 
fringe. This drift line of debris averaged about 8 ft high. All trees were defoliated except the 
low shrubs and an occasional clump of trees of the mangrove fringes. Observation in the early 
1950s and inquiries from people who knew the keys before and after the 1935 Hurricane 
indicated that the mangrove fringe on many keys was completely torn away by that storm. The 
herbaceous and shrubby vegetation was little affected. Exceptions were noted on Man o' War 
and Oyster Keys where the top soil was washed off on the levee-like rim and the herbaceous 
plants uprooted. Many of the large key lily Hymenocallis bulbs were found hanging in trees with 
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