Utility Poles Bend To The Blow. Evidence of the force of the tropical hurricane that lashed Miami early this morning can be seen on this closet street. Telephone poles erected to withstand winds up to 150 miles per hour are toppled like straw by the howling winds. Gusts as high as 125 miles per hour were recorded at the height of the storm in this resort city. Five radio towers were flattened and hundreds of trees and utility poles were knocked down. The estimated damage was reported to be between four and five million dollars. Florida, USA. 18 October 1950.