Janie and Tea Cake are still down on the muck when the Seminoles and the Bahamians head east, despite the fact that the picking season is not complete. Both groups warn Janie and Tea Cake that a hurricane is coming; Tea Cake discounts their warnings, but even the animals begin to flee.

Many of Tea Cake’s friends gather at his house to weather the storm, but when the winds come in, they grow fearful and realize that staying behind was a mistake. Tea Cake and Janie flee the house along with a friend when the winds grow stronger, and it becomes apparent that the dikes and dam works that hold back the Okeechobee will break. They barely survive their flight to higher ground; the friend who accompanies them, Motorboat, stays behind, too tired to keep running. During their flight, Tea Cake kills an aggressive dog that tries to attack Janie. The dog bites Tea Cake on the face. The couple reaches Palm Beach, where they spend most of their money to secure a tiny sleeping space. They reaffirm their love for each other.