Andrew (25th anniversary)

[tolakram]

I don't watch that many older videos of hurricanes but I stumbled on this one while looking for something else ... odd timing for sure. I'm sure many here have seen before.

It was August 18th when Andrew, at the time a tropical storm, was tangling with an upper low as it moved toward the Bahamas. Florida had not been hit with a major hurricane since Eloise, a cat 3, in 1975. In 1985 Elena came close but did not make landfall in Florida ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_F ... hurricanes ). That's 17 years between majors.

After the typical dramatic introduction the video gets going with Bryan Norcross describing the tropics on August 18th, 1992.

Link: https://youtu.be/_6FixacAXlo

[chaser1]

I don't watch that many older videos of hurricanes but I stumbled on this one while looking for something else ... odd timing for sure. I'm sure many here have seen before.

It was August 18th when Andrew, at the time a tropical storm, was tangling with an upper low as it moved toward the Bahamas. Florida had not been hit with a major hurricane since Eloise, a cat 3, in 1975. In 1985 Elena came close but did not make landfall in Florida ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_F ... hurricanes ). That's 17 years between majors.

After the typical dramatic introduction the video gets going with Bryan Norcross describing the tropics on August 18th, 1992.

[you tube5]https://youtu.be/_6FixacAXlo[/youtube5]

Wow, 25 Year Anniversary next Thursday?! I remember THAT well. Thanks for posting and will kick back and watch this evening from a far less perilous and dryer perspective. Unlikely as it is, having 92L out there makes this video and the memories that much more salient.

[floridasun78]

I don't watch that many older videos of hurricanes but I stumbled on this one while looking for something else ... odd timing for sure. I'm sure many here have seen before.

It was August 18th when Andrew, at the time a tropical storm, was tangling with an upper low as it moved toward the Bahamas. Florida had not been hit with a major hurricane since Eloise, a cat 3, in 1975. In 1985 Elena came close but did not make landfall in Florida ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_F ... hurricanes ). That's 17 years between majors.

After the typical dramatic introduction the video gets going with Bryan Norcross describing the tropics on August 18th, 1992.

[you tube5]https://youtu.be/_6FixacAXlo[/youtube5]

i have that on vhs tape brought it at blockbuster

[cajungal]

I had just turned 16 and was a junior in high school when Andrew hit. We didn't get hit as bad as Homestead. But the northern eyewall passed directly over me in SE Louisiana. (Terrebonne parish ) Walls were vibrating. Sounded like a freight train coming through our living room. I was so scared. Only 2 walls were left standing on our fishing camp. We were without power for awhile.

[gatorcane]

I posted this in the 92l thread earlier but to think Andrew went on to cause so much destruction after looking like this a few hundred miles NE of Leewards is why we pay close attention to these African waves like 92l this time of year even though an Andrew event seems very rare and there are no indications 92l will be an Andrew.



Full loop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0eHC_XzOco

[Emmett_Brown]

In some ways, the current pattern reminds me of Andrew. I am pretty convinced that 92L has been a TC for a couple of days now. Andrew was a weak sheared storm, interacting with an upper level low, in an environment with dry air, and high background pressures, in a similar position. You also had a strong ridge building to the north. The pattern similarities are a little spooky, but I will stop comparing them out of respect for what was a rare historic event.

[AxaltaRacing24]

In some ways, the current pattern reminds me of Andrew. I am pretty convinced that 92L has been a TC for a couple of days now. Andrew was a weak sheared storm, interacting with an upper level low, in an environment with dry air, and high background pressures, in a similar position. You also had a strong ridge building to the north. The pattern similarities are a little spooky, but I will stop comparing them out of respect for what was a rare historic event.

Then it would technically be TD 10, which reminds me of another TD 10 about 12 years ago.

[p1nheadlarry]

NHC report with data/images
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1992andrew.html

Mostly Bryan Norcross clips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm77v8cBdkM

From Coconut Grove (MIchael Laca)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO0TGcRm6LM

Incredible damage (several parts)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO0TGcRm6LM

More WTVJ (some repeats), but take notice of the radar each time they go to it. Looks better and better (though could just be a mix of intensification and getting closer to the radar source)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9WcQSfW2YU&t=755s

[tolakram]

 https://twitter.com/hwind/status/897556385692606468




http://www.rms.com/blog/2017/08/14/just-tell-me-whether-andrew-is-coming/

[Steve]

Crazy few days. One of my buddies was living in a vacant apartment in an office building the bank he worked for owned. About 15 of my friends went over there. We went to my dad's who had a stronger house. By late that night, we realized we'd be okay and went back to where we lived. I didn't pay as much attention as I should have and took a shower when I woke up and got dressed for work. I opened the front door and winds were sustained in the upper 30's/low 40's. I was so happy when I called work and no one answered. We got lucky as opposed to Homestead and then later Morgan City. But it was the first time in my adult life I saw people actually somewhat panicking after the reports started coming out of SE FL. It's actually pretty amazing more people didn't die in Florida. With homes reduced to splinters, for only 15 people to have died and another 25 or so indirectly, that was the incredible side story.

[floridasun78]

i was bag boy at Hialeah publix it was crazy day early Mon day before people were outside publix at 6am for ice and people want water and can food doing my break i have pocket weather radio i remember hearing that Andrew was still getting stronger i say wow over bahama i told my self my soon to wife work publix let hope for best when i got home i get ready go my family home because our home was old it was sleepless night

[NDG]

It was an amazing hurricane, the rate of damage was almost to the mile because it had such a tight circulation. Just 10-20 miles further north it would had been complete devastation for Miami Beach and Downtown Miami.
My relatives that lived in North Miami barely had a shingle blown off but the ones that lived in south Miami had parts of their roofs blown off.
The same thing happened in SE LA when I lived in Nola, the city lucked out that made landfall 70 miles west.

[p1nheadlarry]

Crazy few days. One of my buddies was living in a vacant apartment in an office building the bank he worked for owned. About 15 of my friends went over there. We went to my dad's who had a stronger house. By late that night, we realized we'd be okay and went back to where we lived. I didn't pay as much attention as I should have and took a shower when I woke up and got dressed for work. I opened the front door and winds were sustained in the upper 30's/low 40's. I was so happy when I called work and no one answered. We got lucky as opposed to Homestead and then later Morgan City. But it was the first time in my adult life I saw people actually somewhat panicking after the reports started coming out of SE FL. It's actually pretty amazing more people didn't die in Florida. With homes reduced to splinters, for only 15 people to have died and another 25 or so indirectly, that was the incredible side story.

NY Giants fan here, a member of the 2011 Super Bowl team (and 2001 UM national championship team) went through Andrew in Homestead. The only room of their house that was left standing was the room he and his family hunkered down in. Just amazing. Antrel Rolle if you ever want to look it up. Didn't know this until they interviewed some players as Sandy approached NY/NJ.

[Happy Pelican]

Thank you for sharing this Mark. Scary stuff but something we all need to remember and fear.

[tolakram]

NWS Miami has published a new video.



Link: https://youtu.be/LIuRYuLaeW8

[Hybridstorm_November2001]

I'll never forget Andrew. I was in South Florida visiting family when the storm hit. We honestly thought we would die that night. Even all these years later I am still affected by what happened to me during Andrew. In 2014 when Arthur hit my area hard I had a bad flashback, which I still don't fully remember. One second I was watching trees get blown over on our front lawn and the inlet behind our home flood, the next I saw my kids and wife crying. I was told I went into the sheer panic mode, freaking everyone out. I was mortified. Since I've been reminded of stories I've heard of survivors of the Great Galveston Hurricane who would panic everytime they would experience a storm. I also recall my grandfather told me his of own grandfather who lost his family during the Saxby Gale of 1869 when he was a boy (their farm which was not far from where my house sits today in was swamped by the storm surge that fateful October night) who use to react the same way. Experiencing Andrew's fury is something I would not wish on my worst enemy.

[chaser1]

I'll never forget Andrew. I was in South Florida visiting family when the storm hit. We honestly thought we would die that night. Even all these years later I am still affected by what happened to me during Andrew. In 2014 when Arthur hit my area hard I had a bad flashback, which I still don't fully remember. One second I was watching trees get blown over on our front lawn and the inlet behind our home flood, the next I saw my kids and wife crying. I was told I went into the sheer panic mode, freaking everyone out. I was mortified. Since I've been reminded of stories I've heard of survivors of the Great Galveston Hurricane who would panic everytime they would experience a storm. I also recall my grandfather told me his of own grandfather who lost his family during the Saxby Gale of 1869 when he was a boy (their farm which was not far from where my house sits today in was swamped by the storm surge that fateful October night) who use to react the same way. Experiencing Andrew's fury is something I would not wish on my worst enemy.

I can SO relate to that fear. I chase hurricanes. I was in Puerto Rico for Hugo and Port Charlotte for Charlie..... "ground zero" for Andrew. Honestly, if an opportunity came along for me to chase a Cat. 5, I can pretty comfortably say that I'd take a pass. That experience was pretty horrifying and I honestly anticipated that the roof and walls of the house I was in, were at any moment about to collapse. Luckily, that never happened, but it did to a couple of other homes in the neighborhood. Looking back I also realize additional factors that contributed to the horror of the event. Darkness of the night surely being one of them. The other being the structure we were in and our inability to see what was happening. The whole idea of chasing a hurricane is the fascination of (safely) witnessing and visualizing the entire event as it unfolds. With Hurricane Andrew, the combination of it being a night time landfall, the structure that we were in, and the outright concern for our lives all contributed to an experience where on top of truly being scared for my life, was further exacerbated by my inability to view what was occurring around me and only rely on my other senses to attempt to picture what was actually taking place outside. Sometimes its our own mind that conjures up our worst fears. Daybreak on the 24th nearly practically confirmed my own.

[swampgator92]

This is a great helicopter aerial footage as it happened of the destruction Andrew caused. It's a good reminder of the power of Category 4 sustained winds.



Link: https://youtu.be/W-F8z5rwZYQ

[tolakram]

This is a great helicopter aerial footage as it happened of the destruction Andrew caused. It's a good reminder of the power of Category 4 sustained winds.

Andrew was a cat 5, it was reanalyzed as such a number of years ago.

[otowntiger]

This is a great helicopter aerial footage as it happened of the destruction Andrew caused. It's a good reminder of the power of Category 4 sustained winds.



Link: https://youtu.be/W-F8z5rwZYQ

Wow!! Holy cow! I had forgotten just how thoroughly catastrophic that wind damage was there. That was exactly like like a 25 mile wide tornado- a strong f2 or or even f3. That's got to be the most pure wind damage of any hurricane in modern history.