Effects of Hurricane Andrew in Florida
| Category 5 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Hurricane Andrew making landfall in Miami-Dade County, Florida on August 24, 1992
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| Formed | August 23, 1992 (First rainbands begin affecting Southern Florida) |
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| Dissipated | August 24, 1992 (Storm moves into Gulf of Mexico) |
| Highest winds |
1-minute sustained: 165 mph (270 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 922 mbar (hPa); 27.23 inHg |
| Fatalities | 15 direct, 29 indirect |
| Damage | $25 billion (1992 USD) |
| Areas affected | Florida |
| Part of the 1992 Atlantic hurricane season | |
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The effects of Hurricane Andrew in Florida proved to be the costliest disaster in the state's history, as well as the then-costliest on record in the United States. Hurricane Andrew formed from a tropical wave on August 16, 1992 in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. It moved west-northwest and remained weak for several days due to strong wind shear. However, after curving westward on August 22, the storm rapidly intensified to reach peak winds of 175 mph (280 km/h). Following its passage through The Bahamas, Andrew made landfall near Homestead, Florida as a Category 5 hurricane on August 24. Eventually, Andrew struck southern Louisiana before it dissipated over the eastern United States on August 28.
Strong winds from the hurricane significantly affected four counties in the state, which damaged or destroyed over 730,000 houses and buildings, while leaving more than 1 million without power. The storm surge impacted portions of Miami-Dade County, peaking at around 16.9 feet (5.2 m) just north of Homestead near the Burger King International Headquarters; the surge caused significant damage to boats and to the Charles Deering Estate. The nationwide maximum rainfall total from the hurricane was 13.98 inches (355 mm) in the western portion of Miami-Dade County. No major flooding was reported in the state. The hurricane caused about $25.3 billion (1992 USD) in damage and 44 deaths in the state—15 directly from the storm's effects and 29 indirectly related. Many other sources, however, estimated that Andrew caused more than $32 billion in damage in the state. Andrew was, at the time, the costliest hurricane in the history of the United States; it was later surpassed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Hurricane Ike in 2008, and Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
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