Effects of Hurricane Andrew in Florida
Strong winds from the hurricane significantly affected four counties in the state, which damaged or destroyed over 730,000 houses and buildings, while leaving more than 1 million without power. The storm surge impacted portions of Miami-Dade County, peaking at around 16.9 feet (5.2 m) just north of Homestead near the Burger King International Headquarters; the surge caused significant damage to boats and to the Charles Deering Estate. The nationwide maximum rainfall total from the hurricane was 13.98 inches (355 mm) in the western portion of Miami-Dade County. No major flooding was reported in the state. The hurricane caused about $25.3 billion (1992 USD) in damage and 44 deaths in the state—15 directly from the storm's effects and 29 indirectly related. Many other sources, however, estimated that Andrew caused more than $32 billion in damage in the state. Andrew was, at the time, the costliest hurricane in the history of the United States; it was surpassed in subsequent years by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Hurricane Ike in 2008, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in 2017.
Hurricane Dennis (1981)
There were major losses to commercial and residential buildings due to roof failures caused by Dennis. Damage to private property was estimated at slightly more than $983,000. Heavier losses was sustained to the agriculture of Florida due to slow draining water in some areas. Fruit and vegetable crops suffered just over $17.26 million in damage. Tropical vegetables and avocados in particular experienced extensive losses. Damage to the former reached about $5.1 million, with production losses occurring to of calabaza, cassava, eddoe, and sweet potatoes. Approximately of avocado trees were destroyed, causing a loss of more than 100,000 boxes, with the fruit suffering over $3.5 million in damage. The standing water also caused health issues for local residents, including septic tanks contaminating water wells. The storm spawned two tornadoes, one on Plantation Key and the other in northern Miami-Dade County, though both resulted in only minor damage. Approximately 122,500 businesses and homes in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties were left without electricity, while more than 8,000 people lost telephone service – mostly in southern Miami-Dade County. Restoration of telephone services took over a week, with the telephone company suffering about $500,000 in damage. One death occurred in the area after a man attempted to drive in high water, but his car swerved and crashed into a palm tree. Overall, Dennis left nearly $18.5 million in damage in Florida.