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 Alberto (1982)
Gale force winds and heavy rainfall were reported in the lower Florida Keys; Key West reported 6.25 inches (160 mm) during a 24-hour period, with the maximum reported winds at a land station being 70 mph (115 km/h) in the Dry Tortugas. Moderate rainfall was reported throughout southern Florida and the eastern Florida Keys, as well, peaking at 16.47 inches (418 mm) at Tavernier. Alberto spawned three tornadoes and a waterspout in the Florida Keys, one of which at Stock Island which damaged several boats. One of the three tornadoes picked up a moving car and lightly injured the driver. Another knocked down two telephone poles on the Overseas Highway, which resulted in an hour traffic delay. Damage from the tornadoes totaled $275,000 (1982 USD, $620,000 2010 USD).