Andrew was a small and ferocious hurricane, born off west Africa in August 1992. Its 145 mph winds produced economic devastation along a path through the Bahamas, the Florida peninsula and Louisiana. Damage in the United States is estimated to be near 25 billion US dollars, making Andrew one of the most expensive natural disasters in U.S. history.
Andrew struck Dade County, Florida, especially hard, with violent winds and storm surges. In Dade County alone, the forces of Andrew resulted in 40 deaths and up to a quarter of a million people were left temporarily homeless. The hurricane produced 725,000 insurance claims from the Florida public.