History of Florida
Hurricane Andrew in August 1992 struck Homestead, just south of Miami, as a Category 5 hurricane, leaving forty people dead, 100,000 homes damaged or destroyed, more than a million people left without electricity, and damages of $20–30 billion. Much of South Florida's sensitive vegetation was severely damaged. The region had not seen a storm of such power in decades. Besides heavy property damage, the hurricane nearly destroyed the region's insurance industry.
1989 Atlantic hurricane season
The most notable storm of the season was the costliest tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin at the time, Hurricane Hugo, a Category 5 hurricane that caused $9.47 billion (1989 USD) in damage and 88 fatalities as it ravaged the Lesser Antilles and the United States, especially the state of South Carolina. Hugo ranked as the costliest Atlantic hurricane until Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and has since fallen further due to destructive storms in the 2000s and 2010s. Few other storms in 1989 caused significant damage; hurricanes Chantal and Jerry both resulted in flooding and wind impacts in Texas. Hurricane Dean also caused light damage in Bermuda and the Canadian province of Newfoundland. Tropical Storm Karen, the final storm of the season, brought heavy rainfall and a tornado to Cuba, before dissipating on December 4. Overall, the storms of the season collectively caused 136 fatalities and at least $10.2 billion in damage.