Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew first inflicted structural damage as it moved through the Bahamas, especially in Cat Cays, lashing the islands with storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and tornadoes. About 800 houses were destroyed in the archipelago, and there was substantial damage to the transport, water, sanitation, agriculture, and fishing sectors. Andrew left four dead and $250 million 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. The cities of Florida City, Homestead, and Cutler Ridge received the brunt of the storm. As many as 1.4 million people lost power at the height of the storm. In the Everglades, 70,000 acres (280 km) of trees were downed, while invasive Burmese pythons began inhabiting the region after a nearby facility housing them was destroyed. Rainfall in Florida was substantial, peaking at 13.98 inches (355 mm) in western Dade County. In Florida, Andrew killed 44 and left a record $25 billion in damage.
1998 Atlantic hurricane season
About 2,125 homes were either damaged or destroyed in Antigua and Barbuda, with property losses reaching $160 million; there were also 3 deaths. Roughly 60% of structures on Saint Kitts were damaged, as were 35% of structures in Nevis. Five deaths and $445 million in damage were reported in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Strong winds and heavy rainfall in Puerto Rico left 96% of the island without electricity, impacted at least 100,610 homes, wiped out more than two-thirds of crops, and caused 8 deaths and $2 billion in losses. Heavy precipitation in Dominican Republic caused mudslides, which left about 155,000 homeless and damaged buildings and road infrastructure. Additionally, it destroyed 55% of crops, caused at least 380 deaths, and left about $1.2 billion in losses. The situation was similar in Haiti, where mudslides left 167,332 people homeless, at least 80% of certain crops ruined, 209 persons dead, and about $179 million in damage. In Cuba, mudslides and strong winds damaged 60,475 homes, of which 3,481 were completely destroyed. Additionally 1,117 businesses were damaged, of which 12 were destroyed. Extensive crops losses also occurred. Six deaths and $305.8 million in damage were reported in Cuba.
Hurricane-force winds in the Florida Keys damaged 1,536 houses and destroyed 173 homes. In the Florida Panhandle, flooding was extensive because of rainfall up to . Many residents were isolated and 132 roads were closed due to flooding. In Alabama, 251 houses, 16 apartment buildings, and 70 businesses experienced significant impacts at Gulf Shore. About 50 houses were destroyed and another 40 were left uninhabitable on Dauphin Island, Alabama. One fatality was reported in Mobile when a woman was driving and slid off the road into a creek. Mississippi bore the brunt of the storm in the United States. Along the coast of Mississippi, more than 1,000 homes were flooded. One of the worst impacted areas inland was Stone County, where 54 homes had minor damage, 26 suffered major damage and 5 were destroyed. Winds also left 230,000 people without electricity. In the state of Mississippi alone, there was approximately $665 million in losses. In Louisiana, the storm caused three indirect deaths, while strong winds and storm surge impacted at least 70 homes, destroyed 85 fishing camps, and left 160,000 people without electricity. Overall, Georges caused at least 615 deaths and roughly $9.37 billion in losses.
A tropical wave crossed the Africa coast and entered the Atlantic Ocean on September 5. It tracked westward for several days, until curving northwestward in the Caribbean Sea near the coast of South America. By September 16, the system entered the Gulf of Mexico and quickly developed into Tropical Depression Eight on September 17. The depression executed a cyclonic loop, first heading west-southwest, then south, before curving northeast and finally northward. By September 19, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Hermine. The storm continued north-northeastward until it made landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana with winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) at 0500 UTC on September 20. Hermine rapidly weakened inland and dissipated in Mississippi late on September 20.