 In Martin and St. Lucie counties , the storm was considered among the worst on record . The storm leveled some homes and swept many others off their foundations . At Stuart , winds removed or badly damaged 75 % of the roofs in town . The storm destroyed the third floor of the building that housed a bowling <unk> and the Stuart News , a local newspaper . At <unk> , an abandoned settlement also known as <unk> Beach , strong winds leveled the old <unk> Inn , a gas station , and the second floor of a <unk> building . Winds also tore the roof off an ice plant . A bridge leading to the barrier island from <unk> was partly wrecked ; the bridge tender survived by gripping the <unk> during the storm . Winds leveled his nearby home . According to the Monthly Weather Review , some of the most severe damage from the storm in Florida was at <unk> . The storm left many homes in <unk> Sound <unk> , forcing crews to tear them down . Winter estates on the island , however , were better built and little damaged . While Stuart and <unk> Sound sustained significant damage , Port <unk> suffered <unk> . In Stuart , the storm left 400 to 500 people homeless , up to nearly 10 % of the population , which was 5 @,@ 100 at the time . Between Jupiter and Fort Pierce , the storm knocked down power and telegraph lines . In the latter city , high waves washed out a portion of the causeway . In the 1980s , an elderly resident recalled that the storm was the most severe on record in Fort Pierce . 
