[54] Some estimates in Florida put the damage as high as $34billion (1992 USD, $65.7billion 2023USD). [17] In West Virginia, the remnants of Andrew combined with a cold front to produce 1.5 to 2.5in (38 to 64mm) of rain over portions of the state, causing flooding in areas of Morgantown with poor drainage. It produced hurricane-force winds along its path through Louisiana, damaging large stretches of power lines that left about 230,000people without electricity. A recording station at the National Hurricane Center recorded a peak gust of 163 miles per hour (262 km/h), and sustained winds peaked at 126 miles . Despite this, the Cleveland Indians, fearing the relocation of their more affluent fans, moved their spring training location to Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven. [4], At 08:30 UTC on August 26, the cyclone made landfall about 20mi (30km) west-southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, with winds of 115mph (185km/h). [4] A total of 800 houses were destroyed, leaving 1,700 people homeless. Heavy rainfall in other areas was sporadic, with precipitation reported as far north as Central Florida. [107], Crime, especially looting and theft, rose sharply in the areas south of Miami immediately after Andrew. Andrew was a category IV storm, and the eye of the hurricane came ashore a few miles south of heavily populated Miami, Florida, near the City of Homestead and Homestead Air Force Base. In the years that followed, the storm survivors were joined by thousands of new arrivals who turned the once-sleepy farm town into a sprawling Miami exurb and poured millions of tax dollars into revitalizing a moribund downtown that is now anchored by a shimmering new $26 million, 75-foot tall City Hall building. [78] Property damage reached about $100million and three fatalities were reported in Broward County. [72] Further north, damage to poorly constructed homes in communities such as Country Walk and Saga Bay resembled that of an F3 tornado. Officials at various federal agencies told the Times that there was a breakdown in communication and coordination at top levels of government., "After the military finally got in and they started patrolling, we had a lot of help from the police and what not," Knowles said. "We were totally ignored for about four days. [98], After assessing the devastation in Florida and Louisiana, U.S. President George H. W. Bush initially proposed a $7.1billion aid package to provide disaster benefits, small-business loans, agricultural recovery, food stamps, and public housing for victims of Hurricane Andrew. About 25minutes after its first Florida landfall, Andrew made another landfall just northeast of Homestead, with a slightly lower pressure of 922mbar (27.23inHg). [58] The president quickly declared the region a disaster area, which provided public assistance to victims of the storm in Broward, Collier, Dade, and Monroe Counties. Twenty-five years ago Thursday, the city of Homestead was in the eye of a Category 5 storm the highest category on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale that unleashed its wrath on South Florida on Aug. 24, 1992. [84] A total of 17deaths occurred in Louisiana, 8directly and 9from indirect causes. Overall, losses in the state of Louisiana reached approximately $1.56billion. Generally, single-family homes fared well, with most losing only roofing shingles, though others suffered severe damage after large trees fell on them. [83] Before making landfall, Andrew spawned an F3 tornado in LaPlace, which killed two people and injured 32. So we will be watching those neighborhoods closely, said Porter, who will be working out of a command center in the new City Hall. Porter, 58, who was born and raised in this city of 65,000, said his house was destroyed by Andrew. Overall, the parish suffered $125million in property damage, while an additional $200million in damage was inflicted on sugar crops. The Homestead resident said the airlines encouraged all of its employees to evacuate the suburb, located about 30 miles south of Miami. The paper also indicated that Andrew briefly re-intensified into a Category 5 hurricane around the time of landfall in South Florida early on August 24. The Miami suburb was flattened by Hurricane Andrew 25 years ago. [36] A mandatory evacuation from Grand Isle was ordered by Mayor Andy Valence and the city council. Andrew left four dead and $250million in damage throughout the Bahamas. [140][141], On August 26, George H. W. Bush toured devastated areas of Louisiana with Governor Edwin Edwards. Hurricane Andrew made landfall in Homestead on August 24, 1992, as a monster Category 5 storm with sustained wind speeds as high as 165 mph and gusts as high as 174 mph. After spending a week without significantly strengthening itself in the central Atlantic, the storm rapidly intensified into a powerful Category5 hurricane while moving westward towards the Bahamas on August23. [31] Major airports such as the Fort LauderdaleHollywood,[31] Key West,[32] Miami,[21] and Palm Beach international airports closed. Homes After Hurricane Andrew [90] Overall, Hurricane Andrew caused about $500million in damage to oil facilities. [81] The storm destroyed 80mobile homes and severely damaged 400others. Joan Wallach, left, and her daughter, Brenda, leave the Royal Palm Trailer Park in Homestead, Florida, where they lived, with suitcases they found in the debris from the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, Monday, Aug. 24, 1992. [122][123] After its reopening, Major Bobby D'Angelo expected the base to annually contribute less than half of that between $180million and $200million. It just took a long, long time," Blakely said. And as Irma bears down on South Florida, the town of 60,000 is preparing for the worst again. Joan Wallach, left, and daughter, Brenda, leave their trailer park with suitcases they found in the debris. In addition, Andrew is one of only four tropical cyclones to make landfall in the continental United States as a Category5, alongside the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, 1969's Camille, and 2018's Michael. [135] The county had a net loss of about 36,000people in 1992, while Broward and Palm Beach counties gained about 17,000 and 2,300Dade County residents, respectively. Andrew spawned at least 28tornadoes along the Gulf Coast, especially in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. [75] More than 50streets were blocked by fallen trees and power lines. In the first few days following the storm, Louisiana National Guard members and local residents worked to remove debris such as downed trees, roofing shingles, and torn aluminum siding. [34], In Louisiana, Governor Edwin Edwards declared a state of emergency. In addition to the mobile homes already provided, FEMA spent $22.6 million on disaster housing. Hurricane Andrew, tropical cyclone that ravaged The Bahamas, southern Florida, and south-central Louisiana in late August 1992. [35] Three damaging tornadoes occurred in the state. [4] Offshore, a group of six fishermen from Alabama drowned. [66] It is estimated that throughout Florida, the storm damaged 101,241homes and destroyed approximately 63,000others the vast majority in Dade County with about 175,000people rendered homeless. The afternoon before the storm hit, Blakely said the skies were a beautiful shade of blue and "green lush greenery" covered the landscape. Here's One Way to Pay Off Your Debt, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Check Your Change! Twenty-six schools were affected, with damage totaling $2.6million. [86] During the storm's passage, upwelling occurred in the Atchafalaya Basin and Bayou Lafourche, killing 187million freshwater fish. The infrastructure was gone. [91] Much of Mississippi received 3 to 5in (76 to 127mm) of rain, while areas near the southwest corner of the state observed over 7in (180mm) of precipitation,[94] with a peak of 9.30in (236mm) at Sumrall. As an estimated 1 million fled north from South Florida, Jeff Blakely, a historian at the downtown Homestead Town Hall Museum, decided to stay behind. [146] House Resolution 5620 also included disaster aid to the state of Louisiana. [123] The city of Homestead spent about $6million on rebuilding the Homestead Sports Complex. [nb 2][10] Despite its intensity, Andrew was a small tropical cyclone, with winds of 35mph (56km/h) extending out only about 90mi (150km) from the center. After his visit to Louisiana, President Bush declared only Terrebonne Parish as a disaster area,[86] but later included 34 other parishes under this declaration. Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida with sustained winds of 165 mph and gusts over 200 mph as a Category 5 storm on Aug. 24, 1992. The highest sustained wind speed for the storm was 146mph (235km/h), recorded at the Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station, before instruments also failed there. On Sept. 15,1945, precisely three years after the base was established, a hurricane carrying winds measuring 145 mph tore through, leaving it in ruins until 1955, when a cleanup was completed and the base reactivated. [57] Some officials in Florida considered Andrew the worst storm in the state since the Labor Day hurricane in 1935. [104], In Florida, President Bush assessed damage in areas south of Miami with Florida Governor Lawton Chiles. [11] After reaching that intensity, the hurricane underwent an eyewall replacement cycle. [106] Governor Chiles considered asking the Florida State Legislature to raise taxes, stating that "No matter how much Congress appropriates to repair damage from Hurricane Andrew, the state will face a substantial cleanup bill". Accelerating northeastward, the depression began merging with the approaching frontal system, and by midday on August 28, Andrew had lost its tropical identity while located over the southern Appalachian Mountains. Andrew's intensity, combined with lax enforcement of building codes, destroyed over 25,000 homes, leaving more than 160,000 residents homeless. [4], After hitting Florida, Andrew moved across the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall about 23mi (37km) west-southwest of Morgan City in south-central Louisiana; at landfall, the maximum sustained winds were 115mph (185km/h). August 25, 2020 at 12:10 am EDT. [85] Houses in Berwick, Morgan City, and Patterson suffered major damage. Blakley said as he traversed his neighborhood, residents looked like "walking zombies and all anyone could say was Oh, my God.. [146], In early September, officials announced that 1,400mobile homes, homes, and apartments would become available to residents whose dwellings became uninhabitable. [4], Due to the hurricane's threat, workers fled oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, while the Coast Guard moved their boats inland. [4][64][65] At the height of the storm, more than 1.4million people lost electricity and another 150,000were without telephone service. It was just wild," Knowles said. Winds in the area were estimated to have ranged from 130 to 150mph (210 to 240km/h), slightly below the threshold for an F3 tornado. The small hurricane curved northeastward after landfall and rapidly lost its intensity, becoming extratropical on August28, and merging with the remnants of Hurricane Lester and a frontal system over the southern Appalachian Mountains on August29. All watches and warnings were discontinued on August 24. [70] Damage to the base was extensive enough that it was recommended for closure. In Cypremort Point State Park, several mobile homes were destroyed. She too rode out Hurricane Andrew in her Homestead home and when it was finally safe to venture out her restaurant was badly damaged.. Even a month prior to Andrew, the House Committee on Appropriations which oversees the budget for FEMA released a report calling the agency a "political dumping ground" and a "turkey farm" due to its "weak, inexperienced leaders". The oil industry lost about $12million per day in the days following Andrew and $4million daily by three weeks later. Hurricane Andrew became South Florida's most devastating hurricane after it hit the Homestead area, south of Miami, 28 years ago Monday. Like much of the surrounding communities, Homestead AFB received the full fury of a category 5 hurricane named Andrew, leaving it in complete ruin. [88] The storm damaged 241oil and gas facilities and toppled 33platforms off the coast of Louisiana,[89] causing significant disruptions in production. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. It was later noted that if Andrew had been slightly larger or made landfall a few miles further north, it would have significantly affected Miami and Fort Lauderdale, which would have resulted in an even higher damage and death toll. Andrew first inflicted structural damage as it moved through the Bahamas, especially in Cat Cays, lashing the islands with storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and tornadoes. [3], A tropical wave moved off the west coast of Africa on August 14. College of the Mainland, Galveston College, and Texas A&M University at Galveston were also closed. As many as 1.4million people lost power at the height of the storm; some for more than one month. U.S. Throughout the areas affected, almost 177,000people were left homeless. [52] The Bahamian Government, observing that their response mechanisms were not sufficient, reformed the National Emergency and Management Agency. After the tiles or shingles were peeled off, the plywood and prefabricated trusses were exposed to the weather. One death occurred in the parish due to electrocution. But now theyre senior citizens with worried children who implored them to get out of Dodge. TRAGIC OCCURRENCE DISCUSSION-HURRICANE ANDREW 2 Introduction. Hurricane Andrew began as a tropical depression off the west coast of Africa near the Cape Verde islands on August 16; the next day . I thought that can't be my house, but it was," Knowles recalled. Almost immediately, President Bush promised, "Help is on the way," and mobile kitchens, food, and tents, along with over 20,000 units from the Florida Army National Guard (124th Infantry Regiment from Florida); the 24th Infantry Division from Fort Stewart, the 82nd Airborne Division and logistical support soldiers from the 1st Corps Support Command's 189th Maintenance Battalion from Fort Bragg, and the 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum. [58] But most others (particularly the media, former National Hurricane Center director Max Mayfield) in retrospect stated that Andrew was hardly "The Big One",[59][60] but still very devastating. Everybody in town is very nervous about Irma, she said. [4] Convection became more organized as upper-level outflow became better established. At the Columbus Metropolitan Airport, buildings, billboards, and signs were damaged. [6] Shortly thereafter, the storm began weakening because of increased southwesterly wind shear from an upper-level low. [24] Rainfall was projected to be between 5 and 8 in (130 and 200 mm) along the path of the storm. In the Everglades, 70,000acres (280km2) of trees were downed, while invasive Burmese pythons began inhabiting the region after a nearby facility housing them was destroyed. And the interesting thing is that a lot of people have been heeding our advice and taking Irma seriously.. [28] Overall, almost 1.2million people evacuated, which contributed to the low number of fatalities, despite the intensity of the storm. [4] Many evacuees also checked into hotels, with rooms completely booked as far north as Ocala. [96][97], Initially, the Bahamas National Disaster Coordinator believed that foreign aid was not required, but shortly after the storm, the Government of the United Kingdom began distributing blankets, food, ice, and water. [45] Andrew was the costliest hurricane in U.S. history at the time, but is now ninth following hurricanes Katrina (2005), Ike (2008), Sandy (2012), Harvey (2017), Irma (2017), Maria (2017), Ida (2021), and Ian (2022). Rows of damaged houses sit between Homestead and Florida City, Florida on Aug. 25, 1992. On Current Island, the hurricane destroyed 24 of the 30 houses. [4] In Tennessee, thunderstorm winds and tornadoes associated with Andrew downed trees and power lines, but caused little overall impact to homes and buildings. [133] Similar migration occurred within the Jewish community. HURRICANE ANDREW TIMELINE: ON THIS DAY, AUGUST 23, 1992 According to the National Hurricane Center, 65 people died along the path of the entire storm. Rick Scott: Irma is 'an unbelievable hurricane'. [99] After the House of Representatives appropriated aid to victims of Hurricane Iniki in Hawaii and Typhoon Omar in Guam, the cost was later increased to $11.1billion. Collier County's $414.2 million in property tax collections accounts for 27% of the $1.7 billion county budget. [74][108] Initially, the slow response of federal aid prompted Dade County Emergency Management Director Kate Hale to famously exclaim at a nationally televised news conference, "Where in the hell is the cavalry on this one? On the roof of some homes, the concrete tiles were glued to felt paper, which could easily be ripped by straight line winds. In the days after the storm, federal and local response was slowed by bureaucratic snarls. Though Andrew briefly weakened to Category4 status while traversing the Bahamas, it regained Category5 intensity before making landfall in Florida on Elliott Key and then Homestead on August24. Bob Jensen, who is chairman of the Historic Homestead Town Hall Museum, said their home sustained of minor damage from Andrew. However, Andrew weakened as it continued further inland, and after crossing southern Florida in four hours, the storm emerged into the Gulf of Mexico with winds of 130mph (210km/h). [35] Heavy rains accompanied the storm's passage through the state, peaking at 11.02in (280mm) in Robert. NSGA Homestead was located at Homestead AFB, near the southern end of the Florida peninsula, about 25 miles south of Miami. Estfana Hernandez, whose El Toro Taco restaurant is one of the longtime anchors of Homesteads revitalized downtown, began boarding the windows of her eatery on Wednesday and those of the other businesses her family owns on Krome Ave., the main drag in town. But 20 years later, Homestead Air Reserve Base continues to look to the future, growing and developing faster than the wind speeds that once stripped it bare. [26] In Dade County alone, 515,670people were ordered to evacuate. Homer Knowles was a pilot for Pan American World Airways in 1992. The base was partially rebuilt and is now home to the Homestead Air Reserve. Homestead Towne Square, a shopping mall on U.S. 1 and Campbell Drive in Homestead, stands today on the site of a mall destroyed by Hurricane Andrew 25 years ago. One person drowned from the surge in Lower Bogue, Eleuthera, and two others died in The Bluff. Throughout the parish, 1,367dwellings were destroyed, 2,028were severely damaged, and 4,770others were impacted to a minor degree. [4] News reports indicated severe damage to 36 houses on Harbor Island. [74] The Cutler Ridge Mall suffered severe wind and water damage; after the storm, significant looting was reported at that location. [30] Many colleges and universities in southeast Florida also closed. Strong winds damaged billboards, awnings, commercial signs, several boats, planes, trees,[32] and 1,500homes, with 300of those becoming uninhabitable. Then, when I did find it, I thought I'd made a mistake. In Homestead, Floridathe hardest hit communitymore than 99% of the mobile homes were completely destroyed. Winds were generally light in the state, reaching 30mph (48km/h) in Port Arthur. They were upgraded to hurricane warnings later that day, and on August 23, additional warnings were issued for the central Bahamas, including Cat Island, Exuma, San Salvador Island, and Long Island, Bahamas. More than 7,500 of them were left homeless, with 85% of the homes damaged. Overall, $27.3billion in losses[43] and 65fatalities were attributed to Andrew,[4] although many other estimates range as high as $36billion. So were the houses of his grandparents and other kin. The Homestead, Florida newly built City Hall. [89] Initially, a production loss of 240,000 to 270,000barrels per day occurred approximately one-third of production throughout the Gulf of Mexico. [4] At 08:40 UTC on August 24, Andrew struck Elliott Key as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds of 165mph (266km/h) and a pressure of 926mbar (27.34inHg). Fifteen of them were killed by the impact of the storm that night. The storm was found to have been slightly stronger than originally assessed while approaching Louisiana, but the landfall winds were decreased from 120mph (195km/h) to 115mph (185km/h). Porter said they have spent the past few days making sure Homestead residents know where the shelters are and making sure the families of key city workers and police officers are in safe places. [94], In Alabama, precipitation amounts in the state peaked at 4.71in (120mm) in Aliceville. Andrew hit just northeast of Homestead with a slightly lower pressure of 922 mbar. Of course, Hernandez said. These centers allowed residents to submit applications for aid. [4], Elsewhere, effects were relatively minimal, except in Broward, Monroe, and Collier counties. Reconstruction then began on a Florida Air National Guard tower, air traffic control tower, and maintenance hangars. Hurricane Andrew shortly after landfall near Homestead Initially, forecasters predicted tides up to 14 ft (4.3 m) above normal along the east coast of Florida, near the potential location of landfall. [4] On August 19, a Hurricane Hunters flight into the storm failed to locate a well-defined center[7] and on the following day, a flight found that the cyclone had degenerated to the extent that only a diffuse low-level circulation center remained; observations indicated the barometric pressure rose to an unusually high 1,015mbar (29.97inHg). [4] As Andrew crossed into Mississippi, 3severe thunderstorm warnings, 21tornado warnings, and 16flood warnings were issued. Tuesday marks the 29 th anniversary of the Category 5 hurricane making landfall, leveling cities like Homestead and Florida City with winds as high as 175 miles per hour. Naval Security Group Activity (NSGA) Homestead was commissioned in June, 1957 and was disestablished and closed on June 9, 1993, after being virtually demolished by Hurricane Andrew on August 24, 1992. [31], Shortly after the storm emerged into the Gulf of Mexico from southern Florida, the National Hurricane Center issued hurricane watches and warnings for the Gulf Coast of the United States beginning at 13:00 UTC on August 24. [136] Consequently, the Hispanic population in south Dade County climbed rapidly. [49][nb 5], Overall, Andrew caused about $25.3billion in damage in Florida,[4] making it the costliest hurricane to hit the state at the time.

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