(WSVN) - Thirty-two years ago, Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 storm, slammed into South Florida, leaving a trail of devastation across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe counties.
The powerful hurricane claimed 65 lives and caused more than $26 billion in damage across Florida, Louisiana and the Bahamas.
Before Hurricane Katrina, the 1992 storm was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.
Andrew made landfall near Homestead with winds around 165 mph, flattening homes, uprooting trees, and knocking out power for weeks.
It caused unforgettable destruction and was a turning point that changed everything from hurricane forecasting to building codes.
“Everything you know about hurricane forecasting, communication, emergency management, evacuation, planning, mitigation and response was defined, if not set into motion, by Andrew,” said Jamie Rhome, Acting Director of the National Hurricane Center during an interview with 7News in 2022.
As the days passed, people struggled to find food, water and shelter in the blazing heat. Federal and state disaster relief was slow to coordinate, prompting harsh words from the head of Dade County’s emergency operations, Kate Hale.
“We’re doing everything we can. Where in the hell is the calvary on this one?” Hale said.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.