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Origin and Landfall
Hurricane Andrew began to form off of the west coast of Africa on August 14, and it passed to the south of the Cape Verde Islands on August 15. It then followed a sweeping track up past Puerto Rico and into the Bahama Islands on August 16, where it remained and built up strength before moving north again. It made landfall on the southern Florida peninsula on August 24 and moved into the greater Miami area and a large section of south-central Louisiana hours later. Hurricane Andrew dissipated on August 26.
Category Listing
During and shortly after Andrew hit the southern coastal part of the United States, it had an category listing of F4, according to the Saffir-Simpson Scale, a wind calculation system developed by Herb Saffir and Bob Simpson and adopted by the National Hurricane Center. The Saffir-Simpson scale rates hurricanes based on their intensity; it starts with F1 and escalates to F5. Category 4 hurricanes inflict extreme damage on structures and have winds of 131 to 155 miles per hour. Andrew was later upgraded to an F5 hurricane after reanalysis by the National Hurricane Center. F5 hurricanes can do catastrophic damage to structures and have winds exceeding 155 miles per hour.
Wind Velocity and Pressure
Hurricane Andrew had sustained winds of 145 miles per hour within its eyewall. It produced wind gusts of over 175 miles per hour. Once Andrew reached land, it created a 17-foot storm surge that inundated port facilities, docks and marinas, devastating the tourist and fishing industries. The surge also destroyed water- and sewage-treatment plants. Andrew contained the third lowest barometric pressure recorded in the U.S., reaching 922 millibars, or 27.22 inches of mercury.
Diameter
In spite of Andrew's powerful winds and extreme low pressure, it had a relatively narrow track and was considered a smaller storm. However, its diameter still reached over 40 miles, a wide enough swath to cause unparalleled damage. When it hit Homestead, Florida, an entire trailer park was destroyed.
Damage and Fatalities
Around 600,000 homes, buildings and businesses were destroyed or heavily damaged due to the rain, storm-surge flooding and high winds. 150,000 to 250,000 people were left homeless and ended up in shelters. 65 people lost their lives, and Dade County alone reported the deaths of 26 people. A good percentage of Florida's electricity and water plants were destroyed or disabled, which left 1.4 million residents without utilities and fresh water. The offshore oil industry sustained damage, and oil production was interrupted. Estimates put the total repair and recovery costs at over $26 billion.