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.
Effects of Hurricane Irma in Florida
In Volusia County, sustained wind speeds at the Daytona Beach International Airport reached , and wind gusts peaked at . Of the county's 286,545 electrical customers, 210,271 were left without power. Precipitation peaked at at a CoCoRaHS station in extreme southern Volusia County. Numerous roads flooded and many retention ponds were filled to capacity or overflowed. One tornado was reported in Ormond Beach after a waterspout moved onshore. The tornado downed some trees and damaged the roofs of several buildings and homes, some extensively. In Daytona Beach, winds caused significant damage to a hotel. A waterslide was destroyed at Daytona Lagoon. Several businesses were flooded along Beach Street after the Halifax River overflowed its banks. A majority of the damage in South Daytona was caused by storm surge entering apartment complexes and homes along the Halifax River. Damage in the city reached about $14.4 million. More than 1,000 homes in Port Orange sustained some degree of damage. In Ponce Inlet, winds caused roof damage to a club house, deroofed a condominium, and severely damaged some businesses. Throughout the county, a total of 1,003 dwellings received minor impact, 329 received major damage, and 21 homes were destroyed in Volusia County. Damage in the county totaled $332 million. There was one death in the county, which was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator.