Hurricane Andrew

Hurricane Andrew was one of the strongest and costliest hurricanes ever to hit the United States. It struck in 1992 and became known for causing huge damage, especially in Florida. At its peak, Andrew was a Category 5 hurricane, meaning it had extremely powerful winds. When it hit land near the cities of Homestead and Cutler Bay in Florida, its winds reached speeds of up to 165 mph, tearing down buildings and knocking out power for millions of people.

The hurricane began as a small storm in the Atlantic Ocean and quickly grew into a massive, dangerous system. It passed through The Bahamas first, where it damaged homes and infrastructure, before moving toward the United States. In Florida, Andrew destroyed over 63,000 homes and damaged many more, leaving $27.3 billion in damage at the time. The storm also caused deaths and widespread destruction in parts of Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast.

Because of the terrible damage and loss caused by Hurricane Andrew, the name was later retired, meaning it will no longer be used for future storms. Today, Andrew is remembered as a powerful reminder of the destructive force of hurricanes and the importance of being prepared.

Meteorological history

On August 14, a tropical wave moved off the west coast of Africa. A ridge of high pressure to its north caused the wave to move quickly westward. An area of convection developed along the wave axis to the south of the Cape Verde islands, and on August 15, meteorologists began classifying the system. The thunderstorm activity became more concentrated, and narrow spiral rainbands began to develop around a center of circulation. It is estimated that Tropical Depression Three developed late on August 16, about 1,630 mi east-southeast of Barbados. Embedded within the deep easterlies, the depression tracked west-northwestward at 20 mph. Initially, moderate wind shear prevented strengthening, until a decrease in shear allowed the depression to intensify into a tropical storm, which the National Hurricane Center named Andrew at 12:00 UTC on August 17.

The hurricane accelerated westward into an area of highly favorable conditions, and began to rapidly intensify late on August 22. On August 23, the storm attained Category 5 status on the Saffir–Simpson scale, reaching maximum sustained winds of 175 mph a short distance off Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Despite its intensity, Andrew was a small tropical cyclone, with winds of 35 mph extending out only about 90 mi from the center. After reaching that intensity, the hurricane underwent an eyewall replacement cycle. At 21:00 UTC on August 23, Andrew made landfall on Eleuthera as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds of 160 mph. The cyclone weakened further while crossing the Bahama Banks, and at 01:00 UTC on August 24, Andrew hit the southern Berry Islands of The Bahamas as a Category 4 hurricane, with winds of 150 mph. As it crossed over the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, the hurricane rapidly re-intensified as the eye decreased in size and its eyewall convection deepened. At 08:40 UTC on August 24, Andrew struck Elliott Key as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds of 165 mph and a pressure of 926 mbar. About 25 minutes after its first Florida landfall, Andrew made another landfall just northeast of Homestead, with a slightly lower pressure of 922 mbar. This barometric pressure made Andrew the most intense hurricane to strike the United States since Hurricane Camille and the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in Florida since the Labor Day hurricane. The United States would not experience another landfall from a hurricane at Category 5 intensity until Hurricane Michael. As the eye moved onshore in Florida, the convection in the eyewall strengthened due to increased convergence. 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 130 mph. In the Gulf of Mexico, the eye remained well-defined as the hurricane turned to the west-northwest. Andrew steadily re-intensified over the Gulf of Mexico, reaching winds of 145 mph late on August 25.

At 08:30 UTC on August 26, the cyclone made landfall about 20 mi west-southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, with winds of 115 mph. Andrew weakened rapidly as it turned to the north and northeast, falling to tropical storm intensity within 10 hours. After entering Mississippi, the cyclone weakened into a tropical depression early on August 27. Accelerating northeastward, the depression began merging with the approaching frontal system, and by midday on August 28, Andrew had lost its tropical characteristics while located over the southern Appalachian Mountains. The storm's remnants continued moving northeast, fully merging with the remnants of Hurricane Lester and a frontal zone over Pennsylvania on August 29.

Post-analysis on Andrew revealed that the storm was often stronger than operationally reported between early on August 22 and early on August 26. In real time, the National Hurricane Center assessed its peak intensity as 150 mph, which was upgraded to 155 mph in a post-storm analysis after the season ended. However, a 2004 paper by Christopher Landsea and others concluded that Andrew became a Category 5 hurricane near the Bahamas on August 23 and reached maximum sustained winds of 175 mph. 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 storm was found to have been slightly stronger than originally assessed while approaching Louisiana, but the landfall winds were decreased from 120 to 115 mph.

Preparations

Bahamas

Officials in the Bahamas warned people about Hurricane Andrew two days before it hit. They told everyone to take the storm seriously and get ready. They set up shelters in churches, government buildings, and schools. Thanks to the warnings, not many people were hurt.

Florida

People in Florida were also warned about the hurricane. The governor declared an emergency and called up part of the National Guard. Many people left their homes to stay safe. Schools and airports closed, and many tourists left the area. The warnings helped keep the number of injuries low.

Gulf Coast of the United States

When the hurricane moved towards the Gulf Coast, warnings were issued for places from Alabama to Texas. People in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas were told to leave. Shelters were opened, and schools closed. Officials prepared for the storm by moving boats and securing oil platforms.

Impact

Hurricane Andrew caused major damage in the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana. In the Bahamas, strong winds damaged homes and schools, leaving many people without homes. The storm also hurt farms and fishing areas.

In Florida, Andrew was very costly, causing billions of dollars in damage. Most of the damage came from strong winds that destroyed homes, businesses, and farms. Many people lost their homes, and some areas looked like after a big storm. The hurricane also caused some deaths and injuries.

In Louisiana, Andrew moved ashore and caused damage similar to a big storm. Schools and homes were damaged, and crops like sugar were hurt. The storm also caused some deaths and injuries. Other states like Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia saw some damage from winds and rain, but it was much less severe than in Florida and Louisiana.

Aftermath

Bahamas

After the storm, the Bahamas needed help, so the government of the United Kingdom sent supplies like blankets, food, and water. A ship from the Royal Navy also helped with relief efforts. Aid came from Canada, Japan, the United States, and the United Nations. The American Red Cross sent tents, plastic sheeting, and cots. Rebuilding started quickly, but it would take years for trees and plants to recover. Because of the storm, tourism dropped by 10–20%. The Bahamas also improved its emergency management system after seeing how slow it was to respond.

United States

After seeing the damage in Florida and Louisiana, President George H. W. Bush asked for $7.1 billion in aid to help people and businesses recover. Later, this amount was increased to $11.1 billion. This was the most expensive disaster aid package at the time. Florida received $9 billion of this aid. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was criticized for being slow to help, and there were problems with how quickly they could get resources to people in need.

Florida

President Bush declared parts of Florida a disaster area and offered help to people in affected counties. Governor Lawton Chiles created a fund to help businesses and homes that didn’t have insurance. There was also an increase in crime, like looting, after the storm. Military personnel set up tent cities to provide temporary housing. Canada also sent military engineers to help repair schools and hospitals.

FEMA provided temporary mobile homes for families and financial help to others. Almost two years later, many homes that were damaged or destroyed had been repaired. After the storm, many insurance companies went out of business, which caused problems for people trying to get insurance. New building codes were created in Florida to make homes stronger against future storms. These new codes helped homes sustain less damage during later hurricanes.

Louisiana

President Bush visited Louisiana and said the damage was very bad but not as severe as in Florida. He declared many areas as disaster zones. FEMA set up offices to help people apply for aid. The Louisiana National Guard helped clear debris and provided water. Mobile homes and other housing were made available for people whose homes were damaged. The Small Business Administration also provided loans to help repair homes and businesses.

Retirement

Because Hurricane Andrew caused so much damage, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Andrew in 1993. It was replaced with the name Alex for the 1998 hurricane season.