Ships wrecked on Dog Island in 1899 unearthed by Hurricane Michael

Karl Etters | Tallahassee Democrat

Show Caption Hide Caption Hurricane Michael aftermath: First look at St. George Island damage St. George Island was hit with flooding as Hurricane Michael ripped through the area on Wednesday.

Ships that washed ashore on Dog Island during the 1899 Carrabelle Hurricane were unearthed completely by Hurricane Michael's vicious storm surge last week.

It’s unclear which of the 15 ships, or how many, that grounded on the Franklin County barrier island during the storm 119 years ago were unearthed.

Sitting on the Gulf of Mexico side of the island, the wooden ships now rest in plain view near the west end of the island.

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They are well-documented wrecks, according to the Florida Department of State. Because state resources are being allocated to more urgent hurricane recovery efforts, there are no plans for state archaeologists to visit the site.

“They’ve been mostly stationary since 1899 when they were wrecked in a hurricane,” wrote DOS spokeswoman Sarah Revell. “From time to time, some parts of the site have become exposed.”

The 1899 hurricane crossed over the Florida Keys into the Gulf of Mexico where it strengthened into what would be classified today as a Category 2 storm. It sacked Lanark and St. Teresa Beach. In Carrabelle, it left just nine houses standing and killed one woman who was crushed by a house.

Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com or @KarlEtters on Twitter

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