Hurricane Andrew (1992)
August 16 – August 28, 1992
Fast Facts
- Active
- August 16 – 28, 1992 (12 days)
- Peak category
- Category 5
- Peak wind
- 175 mph (Florida landfall reanalysis)
- Minimum pressure
- 922 mb
- Florida landfall
- Cat 5 at Homestead, ~9:00 a.m. UTC August 24
- Deaths
- 65 (44 in US)
- Damage
- $27.3 billion (1992 USD)
- Rank at the time
- Costliest US hurricane on record (until Katrina)
- Reanalysis
- Upgraded to Cat 5 in 2002 (Powell & Houston, Landsea)
Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center; HURDAT2 best-track database.
Path Map
Hover or tap any point for advisory details14 best-track points from NOAA HURDAT2. Segment color shows Saffir-Simpson intensity at the starting advisory.
Landfalls
| Location | Date | Category | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eleuthera, Bahamas | 1992-08-23 | Cat 5 | 160 mph |
| Homestead, FL | 1992-08-24 | Cat 5 | 165 mph |
| Morgan City, LA | 1992-08-26 | Cat 3 | 115 mph |
A small, intensely powerful storm
Florida landfall and the rebuild
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Hurricane Andrew hit Florida?
Hurricane Andrew made landfall in south Florida near Homestead at approximately 5:05 a.m. EDT on August 24, 1992, as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph. Andrew was originally classified as a Category 4 at landfall, but a 2002 reanalysis by Powell and Houston, ratified by the NHC Best Track Change Committee, upgraded it to Category 5.
How much damage did Hurricane Andrew cause?
Hurricane Andrew caused approximately $27.3 billion in damage in 1992 dollars (about $60.5 billion adjusted to 2024). At the time it was by far the costliest natural disaster in US history — a record that held until Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The bulk of the damage was concentrated in southern Miami-Dade County, particularly Homestead, Florida City, and Cutler Ridge.
How many people died in Hurricane Andrew?
Andrew was directly responsible for 23 deaths in the United States, with an additional 21 indirect deaths attributed to the storm (heart attacks, post-storm fires, electrocutions during cleanup). Three additional deaths occurred in the Bahamas and 17 in Louisiana for a total of approximately 65. The relatively low death toll for a Category 5 reflected effective evacuation of the most vulnerable coastal areas before landfall.
Was Hurricane Andrew a Category 5?
Yes. Hurricane Andrew was officially upgraded from Category 4 to Category 5 at its Florida landfall in August 2002, following a multi-year reanalysis by hurricane researchers led by Mark Powell and James Houston. The reanalysis concluded that the surface winds at Homestead were approximately 165 mph based on better-corrected anemometer records, microwave-derived surface wind data, and a more accurate translation from flight-level winds.
What rebuilding changes followed Hurricane Andrew?
Andrew triggered the most substantial overhaul of building codes in US history. Miami-Dade and Broward Counties adopted what became known as the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) requirements, which mandated impact-resistant windows or shutters, reinforced roof-to-wall connections, and stricter inspections. The 2001 Florida Building Code extended modified versions of these standards statewide, and several other Gulf and Atlantic states subsequently adopted similar provisions.