Thursday, Aug. 24, is the 25th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew making landfall in South Florida.
At the time, it was the most destructive hurricane to hit the United States.
The monster storm came on shore Aug. 24, 1992, in the area of Homestead as a Category 5 storm -- the most powerful storm there is.
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It clocked winds of 175 mph.
Andrew destroyed some 63,000 homes and left more than 100,000 others damaged. During the height of the storm, as many as 1.4 million people lost power.
Hurricane Andrew first lashed the Bahamas, on Aug. 23, leaving four dead and $250 million in damage.
Once Andrew made landfall over Florida, the cities of Homestead, Florida City and Cutler Ridge got the worst of the storm. Andrew killed 44 and caused a then-record $25 billion in damage.
Hurricane Andrew then traveled over the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall in Louisiana, where 17 deaths were attributed to the storm.
A new study suggests that an invisible protective barrier protects Florida during active hurricane seasons. In 1992, it was a quiet hurricane season, which gave Andrew the opportunity to strengthen before landfall.
Did you survive Hurricane Andrew and later move into Palm Beach County or the Treasure Coast. If yes, we want to talk with you about what it was like for you during and after Andrew for a story we want to air this Thursday. Please email us here.
