Ten Years After. Hurricane Andrew's Legacy

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

[Straight Vermonter]

Lets not forget GHW Bush's FEMA team that couldn't seem to get out of its own way. I think this was one of the events that really served to push his poll numbers way down.

[Mike4Freedom]

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!

And 4 days before, Federal agents killed Vicki Weaver and her son at Ruby Ridge, Idaho. The killer is known but remains at large.

[f.Christian]

Look what's... happening---in oregone(christines)!

[jsraggmann]

The 210' boat was blown ashore about 1 mile from my former house. I went down to Black Point the next day and really couldn't believe what I was seeing! There were approximately 300 boats in the "hangar", and they were flattened. Also, hundreds of the bigger sailboats and yachts were destroyed by the 18' storm surge. They were torn from their moorings and either deposited on the docks or on each other. For those of us that lived in South Dade County, rebuilding after Andrew was truly an exercise in survival and cooperation.

[sinkspur]

Flake.

[Luis Gonzalez]

I remember driving south bound on the Palmetto Expressway two days after Andrew, and being nearly overcome by tears at the sight of convoy, after convoy of trucks bearing the marks of Power and Light as well as telephone companies from a half-dozen States, massive convoys too.

I lost it when I read the sign on one truck that said, "Help is on its way!!".

This went on for days, I swear that I saw utility trucks from nearly every State in the Union.

The people of Miami-Dade responded like champs for the most part, there were your isolated pockets of looting, but very few. We had no street lights, but we had no accidents, people were incredily courteous and patient. In some real busy intersections, citizens would simply stand in the middle of the street for hours at a time directing traffic...and not one person questioned them, and many honked their horns to thank them.

We had the biggest bar-b-que ever in the block where I lived then, the food was going to spoil, so we cooked it, and sat outside and partied with the neighbors.

[Catspaw]

Luis, we went to the Keys about four months or so after Andrew and the devastation was still apparent. I can still remember towering piles of debris and steel I-beams twisted like pipe cleaners. But the indomitable spirit of Floridians has brought south Florida back.

BTW, we're going to the Keys this winter, first time since post-Andrew. I hope we're not a curse.

[Budge]

Brings back a lot of memories of past storms I have witnessed. Carla in 1961 in Galveston, several others since then.

But your advice to just leave is by far the best, Luis.

[Luis Gonzalez]

You know, I don't recall any problems with FEMA, but then again we were all a tad busy down here.

You guys outside of the State were probably better informed than we all were, you guys had working televisions and radios.

We just wanted a hot shower and some ice cold beers.

[Alamo-Girl]

Jeepers... Thanks for the heads up!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I'm glad you're here to talk about it Luis! It must have been a living hell.

[fnord]

bump to read later. Thanks Luis ...

[Luis Gonzalez]

O man! You took the full frontal hit!!!

Metro Zoo was bad, real bad.

Glad you made it.

[Texasforever]

Ya know other than losing power we hardly even felt Andrew where we live. However, Alicia was a bi..h. That one scared me.

[Texasforever]

oops, you were talking about Florida. Yep Andrew was not kind.

[f.Christian]

... help(link)---MSLady!