Hurricane Andrew (1992)

One of the Costliest Disasters in History

In 1992, Andrew was not only the costliest hurricane, it was also the costliest disaster in U.S. history at $26.5 billion; it held this distinction until 2005, when it was topped by Hurricane Katrina. Its strength and central pressure has only been surpassed by three other hurricanes: the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, Hurricane Camille in 1969, and Hurricane Katrina. Yet, Hurricane Andrew's beginnings were humble, conceived as a tropical wave off the western coast of Africa on August 14. It tracked swiftly westward, developing an area of convection south of the Cape Verde Islands, as most Atlantic hurricanes do, becoming a tropical depression on August 16. By the next day, it had reached tropical storm strength and was named Andrew.

After experiencing some atmospheric hiccups, it rebounded and was elevated to hurricane status on August 22, and headed toward the Bahamas. Favorable conditions prevailed, and Andrew rapidly strengthened to a Category 5 status. Weakening slightly over the Bahamas, the warm waters in the straits of Florida caused rapid intensification as it headed toward southeast Florida. By the time its projected strike path had been established, Floridians had less than 24 hours to finalize preparatory activities and evacuate.

More than 700,000 evacuated and 80,000 sought refuge in local shelters, but many ignored the warnings and chose to remain in their homes. After the storm passed, more than 150,000 South Dade County residents found themselves homeless, living with friends and family, in shelters, or temporary housing. Damage to water mains and water and sewage treatment facilities created unsanitary and unsafe conditions. The loss of electricity plunged the area into darkness and made climate control and refrigeration in the hot, humid, August days impossible. The lack of telephone communication made it impossible to make calls for help. Private vehicles and public transit vehicles alike were damaged, and roads were littered with mounds of debris, halting efforts to seek assistance and procure the basic essentials needed for survival. Hospitals, healthcare facilities, grocery stores, gas stations, churches, and other community pillars were damaged or destroyed, leaving the local population without potable water, food, medications, fuel, and access to medical care, and prompting the largest peacetime deployment in military history. In addition to the 24,000 military personnel on the ground, an unprecedented response from volunteer, local, state, and federal response agencies brought desperately needed resources into the area.

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