Ten Years After. Hurricane Andrew's Legacy

The Sun-Sentinel ^ | August 18, 2002 | VARIOUS

[Luis Gonzalez]

It's hard to believe that an entire decade has passed since Hurricane Andrew swept through South Florida on Aug. 24, 1992.

For those of us who shared the experience, it was a night never to be forgotten.

After waiting out the storm in our ninth-floor newsroom, I remember waiting for the first assessments of damage from our reporters and photographers deployed in various locations in South Florida to cover the storm.

[Luis Gonzalez]

It was a terrifying night, the longest night I can remember.

My small transistor radio crackled and could be barely heard above the winds howling outside, and I was way north of landfall point.

The eye of the storm had set its sight on my parent's house south of me, and now the telephone lines were dead, or maybe busy.

I began to pray...

[Luis Gonzalez]

Here's a truly great interactive timeline, with great graphics.

[backhoe]

Locator bump, Luis-- I grew up on the Atlantic, and we are now on a peninsula with water on 3 sides. I would not bet the old Victorian pile we're in would stand such a storm- although it is at least high off the ground...

[Luis Gonzalez]

Florida City, the day after.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Then my friend, I have one solid piece of advice on how to prepare for a hurricane.

Leave.

Get those things that you couldn't possibly replace, and get the hell out of harm's way.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Andrew's tantrum
The storm surge and hurricane winds lifted the 210-ton freighter The Seward Explorer from Biscayne Bay to Old Cutler Road, a distance of about 500 feet.
(Sun-Sentinel/Carl Seibert)

[Luis Gonzalez]

Ship wrecks
Hurricane Andrew pounded Black Point Marina on Biscayne Bay as it stomped through South Florida.
(Sun-Sentinel/Carl Seibert)

[Luis Gonzalez]

Path of terror
This aerial shot of a devastated community was a common sight to Floridians who tuned in to their televisions as stations revealed the extensive damage caused by the Category 4 hurricane.
(Sun-Sentinel)

Copyright © 2002, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

[Jorge]

Then my friend, I have one solid piece of advice on how to prepare for a hurricane.

Leave.

I lived on Ft. Lauderdale Beach less than a block from the Ocean and I evacuated before Andrew hit.
We were at least 40 miles north of where Andrew made landfall, and it was still very scarey.
I'll never forget the sound of the wind, and how I expected the building to come down any minute.
Ft. Lauderdale beach ended up on A1A.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Not to be overlooked
Spc. Michael Cleary gives a bag of ice to a boy who was overlooked in a Homestead ice line.

[Luis Gonzalez]

My wife and I met about two weeks before Andrew hit, she lived about a mile west from my parents in Kendall, and I was able to get through to her on the phone. I asked her to go check on them, and told her that I would get there as soon as I we were allowed to travel again.

She got to them a full day before I was able to get to them, but she had to walk a great deal of the way because their cul-de-sac (my parent's) was completely blocked by fallen trees.

Dad and his neighbors had to literally cut their way to the main road.

[Luis Gonzalez]

FYI

[f.Christian]

Rodney King was getting the pcp's whacked out of him...

Nicole Smith was having her fatal attraction---

Elian and Elizabet was dreaming of escaping Cuba...coming to America!

I didn't believe the polls---stupidity/gullibility of the American lower/elite classless until the morning of the election!

Garbage loves/believes/collects garbage---trash!

[Luis Gonzalez]

Fletcher!

Where have you been my friend?

[f.Christian]

Fletcher who...

my name is frodo---

do you think the temple of doom is in cuba??

Will you go with me(I got the ring of Elian)?

[f.Christian]

(oh OH...I forgot about the ORCS)

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Will you go with me(I got the ring of Elian)?"

Sure will my friend.

But, we need to complete our group, I better call Donato.

[f.Christian]

and...

Mariesylesis---rmDupree and Victoria!

also...PD--teri--CW'S wife...mare--cutex...msLady---the whole ring--gang!

gg--WW...dirtboy!

[texas booster]

A friend of mine went from Huntsville, AL down to Homestead and managed the disaster recovery team for IT. They were able to rebuild the Homestead computer systems in Huntsville in just over three days.

Frank described massive water damage, chunks of concrete pulled out of the ground and tossed around, and nearly every computer system severely damaged.

In his career Frank had seen lots of action, from Vietnam to spook missions. He described Homestead as completely overwhelming and beyond comprehension. His men had a job to do, and they did it.

This soldier in the picture reminds me of the "goodness" (not perfection, mind you) of our soldiers, especially compared to those of many other countries. Some blue soldiers in other countries would have sold these supplies to friends and neighbors, and worse.

[f.Christian]

oops!