The
Okeechobee hurricane, also known as
San Felipe Segundo hurricane, was the second deadliest
tropical cyclone in the history of the United States, behind only the
1900 Galveston hurricane. The fourth
tropical cyclone, third hurricane, and only major hurricane of the
1928 season, this system developed just offshore the west coast of Africa on September 6. Initially a tropical depression, it strengthened into a tropical storm later that day, shortly before passing south of the
Cape Verde Islands. Further intensification was slow and halted by late on September 7. However, about 48 hours later, the storm resumed strengthening and became a Category 1 hurricane on the modern-day
Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. Still moving westward, the system reached Category 4 intensity before striking
Guadeloupe on September 12. There, the storm brought "great destruction" and 1,200 deaths. The islands of
Martinique,
Montserrat, and
Nevis also reported damage and fatalities, but not nearly as severe as in Guadeloupe.