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What is a hurricane
A severe tropical cyclone having winds greater than
64 knots (74 miles per hour; 119 kilometers per
hour), originating in the equatorial regions of the
Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea or eastern regions
of the Pacific Ocean, traveling north, northwest, or
northeast from its point of origin, and usually
involving heavy rains and thunder storms, and
hazards such as mudslides and floods..

Hurricanes need a lot of heat to

form, which is why they usually
occur over tropical seas (at least
26C).
The sun is close to the equator,
providing energy to heat the ocean.
The warm ocean heats the air
above it causing it to rise rapidly.
Water evaporates quickly from the
hot surface of the ocean, so the
rising air contains great amounts of
water vapour.

The rising air starts to spin

(clockwise in the northern
hemisphere)
The centre of the storm the eye
is calm.
As the air rises it cools, condenses
and forms towering cumulonimbus
clouds.
The rapidly rising air creates an
area of intense low pressure. The
low pressure sucks in air, causing
very strong winds

Hurricanes are among some of the most powerful forces in nature.

They are a beautiful sight to behold from satellite imagery, or the
Space Shuttle, but up close, they can be a monster with a raging
fury that can alter our lives, and the way we live them forever.
Hurricane Andrew was not an exception.
Hurricane Andrew was, at the time of its occurrence in August
1992, was the most devastating hurricane to hit South Florida in
almost 30 years, and it ended up being the most costliest disaster
in United States History. It aslo caused major damage in the
Bahamas and Louisiana.

Hurricane Andrew:Facts

1. Hurricane Andrew had humble beginnings, starting as a tropical wave off the west
coast of Africa on Aug. 14, 1992.

2.The hurricane made landfall near Homestead in the early morning

hours of Aug. 24, 1992.
3.Warnings of Hurricane Andrews arrival led to
massive evacuations across Florida, Louisiana and Texas. In South
Florida, 55,000 left the Florida Keys, 517,000 abandoned Miami-Dade
County, 300,000 left Broward County, and 315,000 fled Palm Beach
County.
4.Hurricane Andrews winds were thought to be 145 miles per hour at
its height, but the data was revisited in 2002 and
determined to be 165 miles per hour. This bumped the hurricanes

5.The morning of Aug. 24, 1992, a storm tide of 4 to 6 feet

was measured in Biscayne Bay. Heights as high as
nearly 17 feet were measuredat the waterfront Burger King
International Headquarters.
6.In Florida, almost
8 inches of rain came down in Broward and Miami-Dade Counti
es
. The most rainfall from Hurricane Andrew was in Hammond,
La. with almost 1 foot of rain.
7.Thenationwide total death toll from Hurricane Andrewwas
26, with another 40 people dying as an indirect result of the

urricane Andrew: Impacts &Effec

The nationwide total death toll from Hurricane Andrew was 26, with another 40
people dying as an indirect result of the storm. In Florida, 15 died directly from the
hurricane and another 29 died indirectly.
In the Bahamas, Andrew brought storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and
tornadoes, causing widespread structural damage, especially on Cat Cays. About
800 houses were destroyed in the archipelago, and there was substantial damage
to the transport, water, sanitation, agriculture, and fishing sectors. Overall, Andrew
left four dead and $250 million (1992 USD) in damage throughout the Bahamas. In
parts of southern Florida, Andrew produced severe winds; a wind gust of 177 mph
(282 km/h) was observed at a house in Perrine. These winds wreaked catastrophic
damage in FloridaMiami-Dade County cities of Florida City, Homestead, and
Cutler Ridge receiving the brunt of the storm. A total of 63,000 homes were
destroyed and more than 101,000 others were damaged, leaving roughly 175,000
people homeless.

As many as 1.4 million people lost power at the height of the storm. In the
Everglades, 70,000 acres (280 km2) of trees were downed. Rainfall in Florida
was substantial, peaking at 13.98 in (355 mm) in western Miami-Dade
County. Altogether, Andrew killed 44 and left a record $25 billion in damage
in the state.
Before moving ashore Andrew caused extensive damage to oil platforms in
the Gulf of Mexico, leading to $500 million in losses for oil companies. It
produced hurricane-force winds along its path through Louisiana, leaving
about 152,000 without electricity. Over 80% of trees in the Atchafalaya River
Basin were downed, and the agriculture there was devastated. Throughout
the basin and Bayou Lafourche, 187 million freshwater fish were killed in the
hurricane. An F3 tornado in St. John the Baptist Parish wrecked 163
structures. With 23,000 houses damaged, 985 others destroyed, and 1,951
mobile homes demolished, property losses in Louisiana exceeded $1.5
billion. The hurricane caused the deaths of 17 people in the state, six of
whom drowned offshore.
Andrew spawned at least 28 tornadoes along the Gulf Coast, especially in
Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Throughout its path, Andrew left 65 dead

Devastated Areas!

Billions & billions lost!!!