Editing Palm Beach County, Florida (section)

==History==
{{main|History of Palm Beach County, Florida}}
[[File:Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area (17237643489).jpg|thumb|[[Jupiter Inlet Light|Jupiter Lighthouse]] situated in the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area]]
[[File:1928 Okeechobee Aftermath 17.jpg|thumb|right|A montage of images of impact by the [[1928 Okeechobee hurricane]]]]
Around 12,000&nbsp;years ago, Native Americans began migrating into Florida. An estimated 20,000&nbsp;Native Americans lived in South Florida when the Spanish arrived. Their population diminished significantly by the 18th century, due to warfare, enslavement, and diseases from Europe.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/native-americans|title=Native Americans|date=2009|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref> In 1513, [[Juan Ponce de León]] became the first European in modern-day Palm Beach County when he landed at the [[Jupiter Inlet]].<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/timeline-10000-yrs-ad-1700|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|title=10000 yrs - A.D. 1700|access-date=March 12, 2014}}</ref> Among the first non-Native American residents were [[African American]]s, many of whom were former slaves or immediate descendants of former slaves, arriving in what was then [[Spanish Florida]] in the late 17th century. Finding refuge among the [[Seminole]]s, the former slaves or descendants of former slaves fought alongside them against [[White American|white]] settlers and bounty hunters during the [[Seminole Wars]].<ref name="blacksites">{{cite book|author=Kevin M. McCarthy|title=African American Sites in Florida|publisher=[[Pineapple Press]]|date=January 1, 2007|page=23|chapter=Broward County|isbn=978-1-56164-385-1|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A_bZhe4no8UC&q=blacks+slaves+seminole+indians+palm+beach&pg=PA23|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.flheritage.com/preservation/markers/markers.cfm?ID=palm%20beach|title=Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker: Palm Beach|publisher=Florida Department of State|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref> Portions of the [[Second Seminole War]] occurred in Palm Beach County, including the [[Battles of the Loxahatchee]] in 1838.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/the-seminole-war-in-palm-beach-county|title=The 2nd Seminole War in Palm Beach County|date=2009|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref>

The county's oldest surviving structure, the [[Jupiter Inlet Light|Jupiter Lighthouse]], was built in 1860, after receiving authorization to the land from President [[Franklin Pierce]] in 1854.<ref name="jlh">{{cite report|url=http://www.jupiterlighthouse.org/pdf/2011History.pdf|title=History|date=January 2011|publisher=Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum|access-date=April 22, 2015|location=Jupiter, Florida|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610113734/http://www.jupiterlighthouse.org/pdf/2011History.pdf|archive-date=June 10, 2012}}</ref> During the [[American Civil War]], Florida was a member of the [[Confederate States of America]]. Two Confederate adherents removed the lighting mechanism from the lighthouse.<ref name="pbchojil">{{cite report|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/jupiter-lighthouse|title=Travelers' Aids: Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=April 3, 2015}}</ref> One of the men who removed the light, Augustus O. Lang, was also the first white settler in Palm Beach County. He built a palmetto shack along the eastern shore of [[Lake Worth Lagoon|Lake Worth]] in 1863 after abandoning the cause of the Confederacy.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/the-first-arrivals|title=The First Arrivals|date=2009|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=April 3, 2015}}</ref> After the Civil War ended, the Jupiter Lighthouse was relit in 1866.<ref name="pbchojil"/>

In October&nbsp;1873, a [[Hurricane Five (1873)|hurricane]] caused a shipwreck between [[Biscayne Bay]] and the [[New River (Broward County, Florida)|New River]]. The crew survived the wreck but nearly died due to starvation because of the desolation of the area. In response, five [[Houses of Refuge in Florida|Houses of Refuge]] were built along the east coast of Florida from the [[Fort Pierce Inlet State Park|Fort Pierce Inlet]] southward to Biscayne Bay. Orange Grove House of Refuge No. 3 was built near [[Delray Beach, Florida|Delray Beach]] in 1876.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://digitalcollections.fiu.edu/tequesta/files/1968/68_1_01.pdf|title=The Orange Grove House of Refuge No. 3|author=Gilbert L. Voss|date=February 18, 1968|publisher=[[Florida International University]]|access-date=April 22, 2015|archive-date=December 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226025404/http://digitalcollections.fiu.edu/tequesta/files/1968/68_1_01.pdf}}</ref>
[[File:The Royal Poinciana, Palm Beach, Florida, 1900.jpg|thumb|The [[Royal Poinciana Hotel]] in 1900]]
Very few people lived in modern-day Palm Beach County prior to the arrival of [[Henry Flagler]], who first visited in the early 1890s. A [[Standard Oil]] tycoon, Flagler was instrumental in the county's development around the turn of the century. First, he purchased land on both sides of [[Lake Worth Lagoon|Lake Worth]]. Other investors followed suit, causing a small boom and bringing in existing businesses and resulting in the establishment of many new businesses. The [[Royal Poinciana Hotel]], constructed by Flagler and his constructed crews to accommodate wealthy tourists, opened for business in February 1894. About a month later, the [[Florida East Coast Railway]], owned by Flagler, reached West Palm Beach. On November&nbsp;5, 1894, Palm Beach County's oldest city, West Palm Beach, was incorporated. In 1896, another hotel built by Flagler was opened, the Palm Beach Inn, later renamed [[The Breakers (hotel)|The Breakers]].<ref>{{cite report |url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/flagler-era|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|title=Flagler Era|access-date=March 12, 2014}}</ref> He also constructed [[Flagler Museum|his own winter home]], which he and his wife moved into in 1902.<ref>{{cite report |url=https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/flagler-timeline|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|title=Henry M. Flagler in Florida Timeline|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> The arrivals of Major [[Nathan Boynton]], Congressman [[William S. Linton]], and railroad surveyor Thomas Rickards in the 1890s also proved important because they developed communities that later became [[Boynton Beach, Florida|Boynton Beach]], Delray Beach, and [[Boca Raton, Florida|Boca Raton]], respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/timeline-1890-1899|title=1890 - 1898 [sic]|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref>

The [[Florida Legislature]] voted to establish Palm Beach County in 1909, carving it out of what was then the northern portion of [[Miami-Dade County, Florida|Dade County]] and initially including all of [[Lake Okeechobee]]. The southernmost part of Palm Beach County was separated to create the northern portion of [[Broward County, Florida|Broward County]] in 1915, the northwestern portion became part of [[Okeechobee County, Florida|Okeechobee County]] in 1917, and southern [[Martin County, Florida|Martin County]] was created from northernmost Palm Beach County in 1925.<ref name="courthouse">{{cite web|url=http://www.pbcgov.com/courthouse/history.htm|title=Palm Beach County - County history |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402052523/http://pbcgov.com/courthouse/history.htm|publisher=Government of Palm Beach County |archive-date=April 2, 2015|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> The boundaries remained the same until 1963, when the Florida Legislature reduced Palm Beach County's share of Lake Okeechobee from about 80&nbsp;percent to less than 40&nbsp;percent and divided the lake more equitably among [[Glades County, Florida|Glades]], [[Hendry County, Florida|Hendry]], Martin, and Okeechobee counties.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85414395/the-palm-beach-post/|date=July 9, 1964|title='Too Much Involved,' Says Bandlow|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|page=1|access-date=August 16, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> A final change to the county's boundaries occurred in 2009, when a small portion of land was given to Broward County.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/evolution-of-palm-beach-county|title=Evolution of Palm Beach County|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=September 16, 2021}}</ref>

The 1910s and much of the 1920s brought prosperity and rapid population growth to South Florida, coinciding with the [[Florida land boom of the 1920s]]. Many local historic districts and landmarks [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Palm Beach County, Florida|listed]] in the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in Palm Beach County were designed and constructed during the 1920s, with the main contributors being architects [[Maurice Fatio]], [[Addison Mizner]], [[Marion Sims Wyeth]], and the firm [[Harvey and Clarke]], which included [[Gustav Maass (architect)|Gustav Maass]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/architects-of-the-boom |title=Architects of the Boom & Bust|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> Total property value in West Palm Beach skyrocketed from $13.6&nbsp;million in 1920 to $61&nbsp;million in 1925, before briefly reaching a pre-[[Great Depression]] peak of $89&nbsp;million in 1929. The city's population quadrupled between 1920 and 1927.<ref name="piland">{{cite report |url=http://wpb.org/getmedia/95efd224-611b-43f2-a8f1-3e72f8744633/Historic-Preservation-A-Design-Guidelines-Handbook-full-color; |title=Historic Preservation: A Design Guidelines Handbook|author=Dr. Sherry Piland|author2=Emily Stillings|author3=Ednasha Bowers|date=2005 |publisher=Historic Preservation Board, City of West Palm Beach|format=PDF|access-date=March 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328050743/https://www.wpb.org/getmedia/95efd224-611b-43f2-a8f1-3e72f8744633/Historic-Preservation-A-Design-Guidelines-Handbook-full-color;|archive-date=March 28, 2019}}</ref>

Early on September 17, 1928, [[1928 Okeechobee hurricane|the Okeechobee hurricane]] made landfall near West Palm Beach as a category-4 storm and crossed Lake Okeechobee shortly thereafter.{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} While the hurricane caused catastrophic impact in eastern portions of the county, the Lake Okeechobee region suffered a much heavier loss of life. Wind-driven storm surge in the lake inundated hundreds of square miles, including the nearby communities of [[Belle Glade, Florida|Belle Glade]], [[Pahokee, Florida|Pahokee]], and [[South Bay, Florida|South Bay]]. At least 2,500&nbsp;deaths occurred, many of whom were black migrant farmers.<ref name="nwsokeechobee"/> An assessment of impact throughout the county reported 552&nbsp;businesses destroyed, 1,447&nbsp;businesses damaged, 3,584&nbsp;homes destroyed, and 11,409&nbsp;homes damaged, leaving 4,008&nbsp;families homeless. However, several cities were excluded, such as Boca Raton, [[Greenacres, Florida|Greenacres]], [[Lantana, Florida|Lantana]], and [[South Palm Beach, Florida|South Palm Beach]].<ref name="92 views">{{cite web|url=http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00001306/00001/1j|title=Palm Beach Hurricane—92 Views|date=1928|publisher=American Autochrome Company|access-date=June 27, 2015|location=Chicago, Illinois}}</ref>{{rp|3}} Damage in South Florida totaled roughly $25&nbsp;million. In response to the storm, the [[Herbert Hoover Dike]] was constructed to prevent a similar disaster.<ref name="nwsokeechobee">{{cite report|url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mfl/?n=okeechobee|title=Memorial Web Page for the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane|date=June 29, 2009|work=[[National Weather Service Miami, Florida]]|publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref>

As a result of [[1926 Miami hurricane]] and the 1928 storm, Palm Beach County, along with the rest of South Florida, began suffering economic turmoil and pushed the region into the Great Depression, even before the [[Wall Street Crash of 1929]]. Housing prices dropped dramatically in the county, with the total real estate value in West Palm Beach falling to $41.6&nbsp;million in 1930 and then to $18.2&nbsp;million in 1935.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/the-bust|title=The Bust|date=2009|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> However, the decade also brought an airport to the county. Morrison Field, later renamed the [[Palm Beach International Airport]], opened in 1936.

After the U.S. entered [[World War II]], it was converted to an [[Palm Beach Air Force Base|Air Force Base]] in 1942.<ref name="PBIA">{{cite report|url=http://www.airporthotelguide.com/west-palm-beach/airportinfo.html|title=Palm Beach International Airport Information|publisher=Airport Hotel Guide|access-date=February 19, 2014|archive-date=March 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318005729/http://www.airporthotelguide.com/west-palm-beach/airportinfo.html}}</ref> During the war, thousands of servicemen arrived in Palm Beach County for training and supporting the war effort.<ref name="World War II">{{cite report |url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/world-war-ii|title=World War II|date=2009|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref> Following the conclusion of World War II, a number of veterans returned to the area for work, vacation, or retirement.<ref name="World War II"/> The base was closed and became a commercial airport again in 1962.<ref name="PBIA"/> Migration to the county by workers, tourists, and retirees continued into the 21st century.<ref>{{cite book|author=Lynn Lasseter Drake and Richard A. Marconi |title=West Palm Beach: 1893 to 1950|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|year=2006|page=8|isbn=0-7385-4272-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iUTQsXsbqUIC&q=West+Palm+Beach%3A+1893+to+1950|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref>

On August&nbsp;28, 1949, a category-4 [[1949 Florida hurricane|hurricane]] struck Lake Worth Beach with [[maximum sustained wind]]s of 130&nbsp;mph (215&nbsp;km/h),{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} causing considerable damage. Throughout Palm Beach County, the hurricane destroyed 65&nbsp;homes and damaged 13,283&nbsp;others.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18850077/the_palm_beach_post/|title=18,000 Homes Hit in 22-County Part Of State Raked By Storm|agency=Associated Press|date=August 30, 1949|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|page=1|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref>

The area's first television station, [[WIRK]]-TV Channel 21, began broadcasting on September 13, 1953. It went off the air less than three years later. However, [[NBC]] affiliate [[WPTV-TV]] and [[CBS]] affiliate [[WPEC]] first aired in 1954 and 1955, respectively – both of which are still in existence today.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/timeline-1950-1959|title=1950-1959|date=2009 |publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref>

[[Richard Paul Pavlick]] nearly attempted to assassinate then President-elect [[John F. Kennedy]] while the family vacationed in Palm Beach in December&nbsp;1960. On December&nbsp;11, Pavlick forwent his attempt because Kennedy was with his wife, [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis|Jacqueline]], and their two children.<ref name=postman>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M9_BSXV_s_4C&q=richard+paul+pavlick&pg=PA164|isbn=978-0-313-36475-4|title=Killing the President: Assassinations, Attempts, and Rumored Attempts on U.S. Commanders-in-Chief: Assassinations, Attempts, and Rumored Attempts on U.S. Commanders-in-Chief|author=William Oliver and Nancy E. Marion|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2010}}</ref> Four days later, Pavlick's car, which had sticks of dynamite inside, was surrounded by police and he was arrested.<ref name=hate>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rFE7nTO-iLcC&q=richard+paul+pavlick&pg=PA89|isbn=978-1-60819-247-2|title=Brothers in Arms: The Kennedys, the Castros, and the Politics of Murder|author=Gus Russo and Stephen Molton|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA|date=2010}}</ref> Charges against Pavolick were dropped on December&nbsp;2, 1963, 10&nbsp;days after [[Assassination of John F. Kennedy|Kennedy was assassinated]] in [[Dallas, Texas]].<ref name=postman/> Additionally, a secret [[Detachment Hotel|blast shelter]] was built on [[Peanut Island]] during his presidency because escalating [[Cold War]] tensions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/us/for-kennedy-a-secret-shelter-was-a-cold-war-camelot.html?_r=0|title=Long-Secret Fallout Shelter Was a Cold War Camelot|author=Lizette Alvarez|date=October 1, 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=September 8, 2015|location=Peanut Island, Florida}}</ref>

[[Hurricane David]] struck near West Palm Beach late on September&nbsp;3, 1979, with sustained winds of 100&nbsp;mph (155&nbsp;km/h). The storm's winds shattered windows in stores near the coast and caused property damage. A few roofs were torn off, and numerous buildings were flooded from over 6&nbsp;in (150&nbsp;mm) of rainfall. Damage in the county reached $30&nbsp;million, most of which was incurred to agriculture.
[[File:Butterfly Ballot, Florida 2000 (large).jpg|thumb|left|The "butterfly ballot" used during the 2000 election in Palm Beach County]]
The county became the center of controversy during the [[2000 United States presidential election|2000 presidential election]]. Allegedly, the [[United States presidential election in Florida, 2000|"butterfly ballot"]], designed by Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections [[Theresa LePore]], led to an unexpectedly large number of votes for [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform Party]] candidate [[Pat Buchanan]], rather than for [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[Al Gore]]. Due to the aforementioned "butterfly ballot" and the closeness of the statewide results between Gore and [[Governor of Texas|Texas Governor]] [[George W. Bush]], the [[Florida Supreme Court]] mandated manual recounts in all counties with disputed results. However, the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] overturned the decision in ''[[Bush v. Gore]]'' on December&nbsp;12, allowing [[Secretary of State of Florida|Florida Secretary of the State]] [[Katherine Harris]] to award the 25&nbsp;electoral votes to Bush, as Harris's tally prior to the state-ordered recounts placed him ahead of Gore by 537&nbsp;popular votes. In turn, this gave Bush victory in the national election.

Following the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001, a [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] investigation revealed that 12 of the 19&nbsp;hijackers trained or resided in Palm Beach County during the months prior to the attacks.<ref name="nationalspot">{{cite report |url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/national-spotlight|title=PBC in the National Spotlight|date=2009|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=April 3, 2015}}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/04/national/04PLOT.html?pagewanted=2|title=Hijackers' Meticulous Strategy of Brains, Muscle and Practice|author=Don Van Natta Jr. and Kate Zernike|date=November 4, 2001|newspaper=The New York Times|page=2|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref> Later that month, during the [[2001 anthrax attacks|anthrax attacks]], a letter containing [[Anthrax|spores]] of this substance was mailed to the [[American Media (publisher)|American Media, Inc.]] building in Boca Raton. Three people were exposed to the anthrax, including [[Robert Stevens (photo editor)|Robert Stevens]], a photo editor who later died after an infection induced by exposure.<ref name="nationalspot"/>
[[File:Wilma 2005-10-24 1245Z.jpg|thumb|right|[[Hurricane Wilma]] over South Florida on October 24, 2005]]
Three hurricanes severely impacted Palm Beach County in 2004 and 2005: [[Hurricane Frances|Frances]], [[Hurricane Jeanne|Jeanne]], and [[Hurricane Wilma|Wilma]]. On September&nbsp;5, 2004, Frances made landfall in Martin County as a category-2 hurricane. With wind gusts in Palm Beach County peaking at {{convert|91|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}, the storm inflicted structural damage on about 15,000&nbsp;houses and 2,400&nbsp;businesses. Six deaths occurred in the county. Jeanne struck near the same location as a category-3 hurricane on September&nbsp;26, 2004. The storm also brought strong winds, with an official wind gust of {{convert|94|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. About 4,160&nbsp;homes were damaged and 60&nbsp;were destroyed. Jeanne left about $260&nbsp;million in damage in the county. On October&nbsp;24, 2005, Hurricane Wilma struck [[Collier County, Florida|Collier County]] as a category-3 hurricane. The storm moved northeastward, directly crossing Palm Beach County. Several locations reported hurricane-force winds, including a wind gust of 117&nbsp;mph (188&nbsp;km/h) in Belle Glade.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wilma |url=https://www.weather.gov/mfl/wilma |website=National Weather Service |publisher=National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=4 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite report|work=National Hurricane Center|publisher=National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration|date=September 9, 2014|title=Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Wilma|author1=Richard J. Pasch|author2=Eric S. Blake |author3=Hugh D. Cobb III |author4=David P. Roberts |url={{NHC TCR url|id=AL252005_Wilma}}|access-date=June 30, 2018|location=Miami, Florida|format=PDF}}</ref> Over 90% of [[Florida Power & Light]] customers lost electricity. Two deaths occurred in Palm Beach County.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-10-25/news/0510240329_1_outages-palm-beach-county-hurricane-wilma|title=Hammered|date=October 25, 2005|author=Jennifer Peltz|page=1|newspaper=Sun-Sentinel|access-date=June 30, 2018|display-authors=etal|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050143/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-10-25/news/0510240329_1_outages-palm-beach-county-hurricane-wilma}}</ref> The storm inflicted some degree of impact to more than 55,000&nbsp;homes and 3,600&nbsp;businesses. Palm Beach County suffered about $2.9&nbsp;billion in damages.<ref>{{cite news|title=Adding Up Wilma's Fury: $2.9 Billion Countywide - More than 55,000 Homes, 3,600 Businesses Damaged|author1=Luis F. Perez|author2=Angel Streeter|author3=Ushma Patel|date=December 18, 2005|newspaper=Sun-Sentinel|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-12-18/news/0512180026_1_damage-wellington-wind-speeds|access-date=June 30, 2018|archive-date=October 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006011507/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-12-18/news/0512180026_1_damage-wellington-wind-speeds}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Frances |url=https://www.weather.gov/mfl/frances |website=National Weather Service}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Jeanne |url=https://www.weather.gov/mfl/jeanne |website=National Weather Service |access-date=4 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kleinberg |first1=Eliot |title=Remembering the hurricanes of 2004's "Mean Season" |url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/2019/08/29/post-time-remembering-hurricanes-of-2004s-mean-season/4354684007/ |website=Palm Beach Post |access-date=4 September 2022}}</ref>

In August&nbsp;2012, the outer bands of [[Hurricane Isaac (2012)|Hurricane Isaac]] dropped at least {{convert|15.86|in|mm|abbr=on}} of rain near [[Lion Country Safari]]. The consequent flooding left neighborhoods in [[The Acreage, Florida|The Acreage]], [[Loxahatchee, Florida|Loxahatchee]], [[Loxahatchee Groves, Florida|Loxahatchee Groves]], [[Royal Palm Beach, Florida|Royal Palm Beach]], and Wellington stranded for up to several days.<ref>{{cite report|url=https://www.weather.gov/mfl/isaac|title=Tropical Storm Isaac: August 26-27, 2012|publisher=National Weather Service Miami, Florida|date=2012|access-date=June 25, 2018}}</ref> As [[Hurricane Irma]] approached in September 2017, mandatory or voluntary evacuations were ordered for more than 290,000&nbsp;residents of Palm Beach County.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/hurricane-irma-290k-pbc-residents-urged-evacuate/IW0I0DWZ7m8Qfq82YCGHfP/|title=Hurricane Irma: 290K PBC residents urged to evacuate|author=Jennifer Sorenture|date=September 7, 2017|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|access-date=June 25, 2018|archive-date=June 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625050611/https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/hurricane-irma-290k-pbc-residents-urged-evacuate/IW0I0DWZ7m8Qfq82YCGHfP/}}</ref> Although the storm passed well west of the county, much of the area experienced hurricane-force wind gusts, with a peak gust of {{convert|91|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} in West Palm Beach.<ref name="nwsirma"/> Impact was generally limited to widespread power outages and damaged trees and vegetation, though isolated property damage was reported. The storm left about $300&nbsp;million in damage in the county,<ref name="nwsirma">{{cite report|url=https://www.weather.gov/mfl/hurricaneirma|title=Hurricane Irma Local Report/Summary|date=2018|publisher=National Weather Service Miami, Florida|access-date=June 25, 2018}}</ref> as well as five fatalities.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/hurricane/fl-sb-deaths-irma-florida-20170920-story.html|title=The many ways people have died from Hurricane Irma|date=September 25, 2017|author=Dan Sweeney|author2=Lisa J. Hurias|newspaper=Sun-Sentinel|access-date=June 25, 2018}}</ref>

===Toponymy===
[[File:The ship Providencia, shipwrecked off Florida coast.jpg|thumb|The ship ''Providencia'', wrecked off the coast of Florida, in 1878]]
The [[coconut palm]], ''Cocos nucifera'', is not native to Florida (nor anywhere else in the United States). Its presence in what is today Palm Beach County is due to the shipwreck of the Spanish ship ''Providencia'' in 1878, near today's [[Mar-a-Lago]]. It was traveling from [[Havana, Cuba|Havana]] to [[Cádiz, Spain]] with a cargo of coconuts.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Harvey III |last=Oyer |title=The Wreck of the Providencia in 1878 and the Naming of Palm Beach County |journal=South Florida History |volume=29 |year=2001 |pages=24–27 |issn=1522-0281}}</ref> The shipwreck was within walking distance of the shore—the Florida State Archives conserves a picture of a painting<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/8481 |title=Wreck of the 'Providencia' |website=www.floridamemory.com |access-date=February 3, 2017}}</ref>—and a deliberate grounding so as to obtain an insurance payout has been proposed.{{sfnp|Oyer|2001|p=26}} The coconuts were salvaged, too many to be eaten, and thousands were planted.{{sfnp|Oyer|2001|p=27}}<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Town of Palm Beach |title=History of Palm Beach |url=http://www.townofpalmbeach.com/Index.aspx?NID=343 |access-date=January 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Palm Beach County Historical Society |title=1860-1879 |url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/timeline-1860-1879 |access-date=January 12, 2017}}</ref> A lush grove of palm trees soon grew on what was later named Palm Beach.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Town of Palm Beach |title=Story of the Town's Founding |url=http://www.townofpalmbeach.com/Index.aspx?NID=344 |access-date=January 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229003514/http://www.townofpalmbeach.com/Index.aspx?NID=344 |archive-date=December 29, 2017}}</ref>