Their needles dropped lower and lower. At the weather station in West Palm Beach, the barometer was plunging. Eventually, it reached 27.45 the lowest ever recorded in the United States until then. And the wind rose. In their various shelters, residents endured and waited.
People lay on the floor for protection at the elementary school.
The water came in under it, the waves were breaking in the yard. Sand was blowing and debris was flying. When tarpaper came off the roof and water came inside, Harlow drilled holes in the floor, so the water would drain out. We had to shout at each other. Needless to say, no one slept.