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.
Hurricane Earl (1998)
Following the impacts of Hurricane Opal in 1995, Earl and later Hurricane Georges, the state of Florida undertook a recovery project to restore the eroded beaches along the Panhandle coast. In October United States Department of Transportation provided $2 million in funds to repair damaged and destroyed roads in Florida. On December 3, an additional $1.7 million was provided to repair funds. The United States Military allocated $2.2 million to repair damage from Hurricane Earl to training academies and naval ports. The Florida Senate provided $25,740 in emergency funds to Hurricane Earl victims. By the end of the disaster declaration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency provided $1 million in public assistance and $600,000 in disaster mitigation.