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Subscribe to RSSThe 1992 Category 5 storm that left a path of destruction eventually forced an overhaul of Florida's building codes. NBC's Kerry Sanders, who covered Hurricane Andrew 20 years ago, reports on the anniversary.
As Floridians wait to see what Tropical Storm Isaac will do, they're also remembering a storm that changed lives 20 years ago today.
Hurricane Andrew blasted onto the Florida coast on Aug. 24, 1992, and in the days that followed, the storm left 26 dead, 126,000 homes damaged or destroyed, and $26.5 billion in total damage. The toll was so great that it forced Florida to strengthen its building codes and enforce them more rigorously. Some who lived through the hurricane are still in awe of its power.
"Just to see what that kind of a storm can do, and how it can totally displace your life ... it's just amazing," said Stacy Linfors, who weathered the storm with her neighbors in the Miami area.
Today, researchers can model the force of Category 5 hurricanes like Andrew using research tools such as the "Wall of Wind" at Florida International University's International Hurricane Research Center. At the center's hangar-sized facility, 12 giant fans can whip up winds measuring up to 157 mph, blasting away the roof of a house that's built to pre-Andrew standards.
"The nation is better off" thanks to the lessons learned from Andrew, said Erik Salna, the center's associate director.
NASA / GOES
A composite image based on GOES-7 satellite data shows Hurricane Andrew moving from the Caribbean Sea, across Florida and on to the Gulf of Mexico, on Aug. 23, 24 and 25, 1992.
Where in the Cosmos
To mark the Hurricane Andrew anniversary, we featured a composite image showing the storm's passage over Florida as today's "Where in the Cosmos" picture puzzle on the Cosmic Log Facebook page. This picture shows the storm's position on Aug. 23, 24 and 25, 1992, as seen from orbit by the GOES-7 satellite.
Twenty years since Andrew hit, meteorologists can get a much better picture of a storm's expected route, not only because of enhanced satellite capabilities, but also because of more extensive data-collection networks and more sophisticated computer modeling for weather phenomena. Such tools indicate that Isaac is highly unlikely to become as destructive as Andrew was.
It didn't take long for Shawn Harness, Deena Perleberg and Darron Sands to recognize the satellite imagery as Andrew's track. They're eligible to receive 3-D glasses in the mail, courtesy of Microsoft Research's WorldWide Telescope project, in recognition fo their quick wits and fast typing fingers. Those red-blue specs will come in handy for looking at 3-D images of Hurricane Andrew and other storm imagery.
Click the "like" button for the Cosmic Log Facebook page and get ready for next Friday's "Where in the Cosmos" contest.
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
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I have friends that survived Andrew. I'll also remember that it was so late in the season to have our first named storm. Here we're already at Issac and I think we've been further in other years with named storms.
I remember the day after Andrew. I live in Palm Beach County, we were spared. I went south to help out with getting things repaired (I worked for an Alarm company as a Service Technician). When we finally got a hold of the guys that lived and worked south of Miami, the first thing they said was "Don't bother sending any crews south of Miami, there is nothing left there to fix". We actually had several of the guys and their families staying at the shop until they actually had anything working down there. We worked for 3 weeks+ straight without any days off just trying to patch up what alarms we could. After that it was months of waiting till people had electric, windows, doors, roofs, etc...
Andrew was fast and furious.
I lived in South Florida in 2005, and after 5 hurricanes I said ADIOS to that
disastrous place.....
The first pic looks like any neighborhood on any given day in Detroit!
I remember Andrew while living in Jax. We prepared for it, until it turned it and went to South Florida. We
contributed supplies to our fellow Christians and the communities.
Grew up in South Florida. The hurricanes, for us, were the equivalent of blizzards for those in the north. Just a fact of life in the summer. My brother lost his home to Andrew, because the developer took shortcuts with the building process. Our family home was fine, built by an architect for himself.
The real tragedy in this was the insurance companies would not pay some of the homeowners for damages if they deemed it was for faulty construction , even if it was beyond the homeowners knowing of the condition. For most homewoners their homes are their greatest asset, and their nest egg. Now these folks have nothing..no home, and no insurance $$$. Some of the developers colluded with inspectors when it came time for inspections, especially roof tie downs. It took my brother 18 months to get the money for his home, and another 15 months beyond that to find another home to move into. 65,000 homes were destroyed or damaged over night. It was a red-tape nightmare. Lots of heads rolled over this in the inspectors offices.
The damage after Andrew was amazing. The devastation was so complete. You couldn't recognize the intersections because the landmarks were gone. (It's hard to get money from an ATM when 1.) The bank branch is gone (literally) 2.) There's no power). No power to pump gas, if you could find a gas station that wasn't damage beyond being able to operate. I could go on...but it would be over kill here...and you all get the picture.
I could never understand why the people that lost their homes rebuild in the same place. One hurricane and loss of my home would be enough for me. Another thing that I could never understand is, when a hurrican is coming why do people wait so long to secure their homes and get the hell out. Waiting until the last day just causes more chaos and congestion. I know some hold off incase the forecast changes , but I don't put too much faith in the meteorologists either. I'd rather be safe than sorry.
I was a contractor that went down to miami to help rebuild homes after andrew,the trouble was that the insurance people paid out money up front but didnt let any contractors know we did the work but when it came time to be paid the homeowners had spent all the money on new cars and fancy motorhomes and didnt have anything thing to pay the contractors with.Finnaly no one wanted to travle down there to work for nothing and besides pay for all the materials.Since then the insurance industury has done a about face and wont give out any money until everything is completedleaving the home owners trying to get money to pay for repairs.Thats the main reason that it takes so long for things to be done.I have been on both sides of the of the problem.My home was totaled in a hurricane in fort peirce in the one that hit in about 2001. As far as eastside chicago girl ,we left 4 days early and it took us 11 hours to go 110 miles.
I remember it, too. My boyfriend (now husband) and I were vacationing in Fla. We were scheduled to go home the day before Andrew was set to arrive. We were in the airport and a call came over the loudspeaker for anyone willing to give up their seats. We offered to give our seats up and the airline promised to fly us out of Fla that day, but didn't promise to get us to our destination.
We spent a half hour in the terminal when we were called to the desk. They had given our coach seats to another couple and upgraded us to 1st class for offering to give up our seats. It was my first time flying 1st class. We made it home safely.
Two days later we were mourning the destruction at the Miami Zoo. We had visited the zoo during our vacation and were saddened to hear that the aviary was destroyed by the hurricane and all the gorgeous birds either escaped or died. There was almost no chance of survival in the wild since they were non-native species.
Hubs and I are married 18.5 years now, but we remember that trip like it was yesterday.
Well when you want to live that clsoe to the beach/ocean and live in that area of Florida,then you ahve to deal with mother nature,or pack up and leave.
With Andrew, it didn't matter if you were close to the beach or in the middle of the state. If it passed over any area, waterfront or halfway between east and west coasts, Andrew chewed it up and spit it out. Hurricanes don't even notice Florida when it passes over the state.
Actually, there are many flocks of tropical non-native birds that are thriving in the wild (and cities) down here.
I'm a survivor of hurricane Andrew. That was my number three hurricane of four. It was devastating. I lost power over a month and water for more than a week. The zoo in Miami (Metro Zoo) was destroyed, the coast guard communication center completely destroyed. Thanks to the help from national guard and military personnel and help red cross and voluntary people we are able to move forward.
This article is =
Just in time to scare off people for the Republican National Convention in FLORIDA.
Should I say Good Job - or how desperate are The Obamas and the Democratic Party?
***
Is this article - similar to The Obamas FEARING what the Republican Party's nominee for President and The FIRST LADY = Ann Romney will present to The American people?
The pathetic Obama Administration has "arranged" a BLACK-out of the Media - when Ann Romney "addresses" the Nation.
ABC, NBC, CBS will be playing re-runs of cancelled shows - when Ann Romney is scheduled to speak at the Republican Convention.
That is how pathetic the Obamas have become for our nation - as flag-burning guerillas =Media black-outs - no different than Venezuela's Hugo Chavez - and Iran's Armadinejad.
But yet we have to hear BigMo and her constant BULLSHYT - for obama's re-election - trying to downplay her Con Game to remain in power to continue to "loot" the US Treasury - after BigMo "commanded" the American people to sacrifice a Bigger Piece of their Pie - so that others can have more - and BIGMO PIGS-out on a Pie-eating RAMPAGE - to the point that the international media labels BigMo as a VACATION JUNKIE - and her spending habits to be "disgusting" - and questions why the American people put up with this from their "elected" officials - in times of economic hardship for our country.
The Obamas are an ABSOLUTE DISGRACE to The United States of America.
They need the liberal media to HIDE their SCANDALS - by falling to report on their CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES - being in bed with the Radicals, Socialists, Communists, Marxists - who have Hi-jacked the Democratic party.
Articles about Category 5 hurricanes ripping through FLORIDA - YEARS ago - are NOT going to affect anyone going to the Republican Convention -
except Obama's thug protestors do not like to get wet.
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Let me show you what else Obama manipulated - for NBC to not broadcast - in The USA - from The Olympics in London = The Tribute to the FIFTY-TWO people - men, women and children - who were KILLED by ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS in a vicious BOMBING ATTACK - to TERRORIZE everyone - "days" after The 2012 Summer Olympics hosts were announced.
Obama did not want this TRIBUTE from The Summer Olympics - shown in The USA - or the Brilliant Performance of Emeli Sande - singing a CHRISTIAN song - in MEMORY of the INNOCENT people who were SLAUGHTERED by Radical Muslim TERRORISTS:
July 28, 2012
NBC Edits Out Tribute To Victims Of Islamic Terrorism
http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/213069.php
If you are watching the Olympics in the States, there's a part of the opening ceremony NBC chose to leave out. While the Olympic Committee opted
not to have a moment of silence for the Israeli athletes murdered in 1972, they did have a tribute for the victims of the 7/7 Islamic terrorist attacks .
The tribute included the Christian hymn, "Abide With Me" performed by Scottish singer Emeli Sandé. NBC opted not to air it.
From
Deadspin via Pat Dollard :
The major transitional element of today’s London Olympics opening ceremony was a downtempo performance of adoptive sporting anthem "Abide With Me" by Scottish singer Emeli Sandé. The song and accompanying dance were a tribute to the victims of the 7/7 terror attacks in London that claimed 52 victims days after the 2012 Summer Olympic hosts were named. (It’s also been suggested the performance was a memorial to the war dead.)Regardless, it was a rather significant and emotional moment in the opening ceremony, coming just before the parade of nations—and it wasn’t aired in the United States. Instead, viewers were treated to a lengthy and meaningless Ryan Seacrest interview.
*
Time 5:57
Here's the tribute NBC didn't want you to see:
http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/213069.php
*
Time - 2:31
Emeli Sande' - One Mic, One Take - Capitol Records studio
u r more than pathetic person talking about politics from an event that serious. people died in this hurricane. maybe u never been in one of them
Oops you forgot to mention the raid that killed bin Laden as well as the drone strikes that have killed dozen
of terrorists in that region. Selective memory, huh?
Hurricaines in the South. Snow and Ice storms up North. Tornadoes & droughts in the Midwest & Earthquakes on the west coast. what cha gonna do?
Lived on the west coast,and the florida keys
At least with the earthquakes you don't have to hear the weather channel drone on about it coming for a week before it gets here
I was stationed at Homestead AFB. By the time we got the jets out on Saturday early evening, the radio and TV was saying 10 hours to Orlando. My wife and I decided to ride it out in our apartment in Florida City. I had an old waterbed frame I wasn't using and used it to board up my windows. My neighbors were laughing at me. The next morning, they weren't laughing anymore and my apartment was the only one in the complex that was still reletively intact. In the military, you are used to saying bye to friends and you may or may not see them years later. The thing that still sticks in my mind is the fact that I never got to say bye to anyone. One day the base was there, the next it was gone and many people I never saw again.
and as for Presidential response like father like son...
I lived in Homestead during Hurricane Andrew. In my neighborhood alone, the death toll rose everyday until on day 3 post hurricane, we were up to over 100 people dead. What many don't realize - because of articles like this that report 26 dead - many more people died than was ever reported and the reason why is because many were illegal immigrants. I searched the web for other Hurricane Andrew articles and not one article reports the same number dead as another. It's sad to me that all these dead will never be mourned because the media didn't deem them worthy since they were illegal immigrants.
I lived in Homestead during Hurricane Andrew. On day three in just my neighborhood, the death toll was over 100 people dead. Yet articles like this - reporting 26 dead - mislead people. If you search the web for articles on Hurricane Andrew, not one will give the same death count. Why? Because the thousands that died were illegal immigrants. More died in Hurricane Andrew than in Hurricane Katrina but no one will ever know the truth of it.
Sorry for the duplicate! I couldn't figure out how to post for my first time...but I thought it was important to let everyone know what I know.
It is hard to describe what it was really like after the storm hit. I worked supplying FEMA with gas and diesel for generators and various equipment and the scene was worse than the pictures. The news media never showed you what the Hood looked like. Just imagine being in the Sudan with no power, water, food or toiletries. The entire town was like a refugee camp. Women were carrying their babies around town in the heat of the day just to get bottled water from anywhere they could find it. Very sad situation.
I was living down in Naples when Andrew 'literally" came right through my back yard. Granted, Not as bad as it was when it hit Homestead. But there were Downed Power lines everywhere, Stoplights laying all over the place. Roofs in swimming pools. You get the point.. I tried to drive down to the beach while it was still coming through. Couldn't drive more than a block before the palmtree barracades took effect. But the most thrilling part of that storm, Was the anticipation of it getting to us. And the aftermath of the destruction it caused.. We were spared heavily from what couldve been. But what a thrill ride that was. I miss Florida in times like this. But at least the Naples ripple riders (Gulfcoast surfers) will get to have some fun..Be safe fellow S.W.Floridians!!
WOW! It's been that long already! I remember where I was the day it hit. I was in Orlando at Lollapolooza. It was the day before I started my senior year of high school. I've lived in Florida my whole life, and the only comparison to Andrew would have to be the combination of all 3 that hit in 6 weeks during 2004 - Andrew did that much destruction on its own.
I am all too aware that Florida had it bad beyond words in Andrew, but those of us in Louisiana who suffered for weeks after being hit by the SAME STORM are sick and tired of being totally ignored in most Andrew rehashes!!! My neighborhood went without power for over three weeks while heat indexes soared well into the ninties. Cold showers were the only thing keeping most of us sane to the point that there were many wondering if the threat of drowning was worth it while sleeping in aforementioned shower. Many businesses, especially in lower income areas, never re-opened...the loss of my favorite ice cream shop stayed with me for years! lol But seriously, parts of south Louisiana still showed Andrew related damage until Katrina came through and wiped it away. Mississippi, too, has been equally ignored. So, while I think Florida should always come first in Andrew stories, it should not be the only topic of discussion.