Hurricane Andrew

     Hurricane Andrew is part of a group of hurricanes that have been the most destructive in the United States. On August 14, 1992, it started as a tropical wave that moved from the west coast to Africa. Three days later, August 17, it became a tropical storm now known as Hurricane Andrew. As it moved west-northwestward, the development of Andrew was slow. By August 21, it was between Bermuda and Puerto Rico turning west into a better atmosphere. It rapidly started strengthening reaching hurricane strength of Category 4 on the 23. When Andrew passed through the Bahamas it weakened but shortly after regained its Category 4 strength. A day later, it burst straight towards Florida and continued west toward the Gulf of Mexico where it then made a northern turn. This movement led Andrew to Louisiana as a Category 3 hurricane and then it made a northeastward turn to the Mid-Atlantic states where it diminished.


     Andrew is the third most intense hurricane that has hit the United States in record. From the reports of the barometer they have established that Andrew’s central pressure was 27.23 inches. An automated station at Fowey Rocks reported 142 mph sustained winds with gusts to 169 mph. Andrew produced a 17 ft. near the landfall point Florida and tides of 8 ft in the Louisiana coast. It also created a tornado in southern Louisiana.

     Due to the hurricane’s disaster, 23 life’s were lost and $26.5 billion in damage which $1 billion was accounted to Louisiana and the rest to Florida. The damage in the Bahamas was estimated to be $250 million.

     I was amazed by how much damage the hurricane caused. $26.5 billion is a lot of money lost. I would have expected a higher death rate but thankfully it wasn’t.