<Ul> <Li> commons: Category: Hurricane Andrew </Li> </Ul> <Li> commons: Category: Hurricane Andrew </Li> <P> Hurricane Andrew was a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that struck the Bahamas and Florida in mid-August 1992, the most destructive hurricane to ever hit the state until Hurricane Irma surpassed it 25 years later . It was the strongest in decades and the costliest hurricane to make landfall anywhere in the United States until it was surpassed by Katrina in 2005 . Andrew caused major damage in the Bahamas and Louisiana, but the greatest impact was felt in South Florida, with sustained wind speeds as high as 165 mph (270 km / h). Passing directly through the city of Homestead in Dade County (now known as Miami - Dade County), it stripped many homes of all but their concrete foundations . In total, it destroyed more than 63,500 houses, damaged more than 124,000 others, caused $26.5 billion in damage, and left 65 people dead . </P> <P> Andrew began as a tropical depression over the eastern Atlantic Ocean on August 16 . After spending a week without significantly strengthening itself in the central Atlantic, it rapidly intensified into a powerful Category 5 hurricane while moving westward towards the Bahamas on August 23 . Though it briefly weakened to Category 4 while traversing the Bahamas, it regained its Category 5 status before making landfall in Florida on Elliott Key and Homestead on August 24 . With a barometric pressure of 922 mbar (27.23 inHg) at the time of landfall in Florida, Andrew is the fourth most intense hurricane to strike the United States . Several hours later, the hurricane emerged over the Gulf of Mexico at Category 4 strength, with the Gulf Coast of the United States in its path . After turning northwestward and weakening further, Andrew moved ashore near Morgan City, Louisiana, as a low - end Category 3 storm . After moving inland, the small hurricane curved northeastward and rapidly lost its intensity, merging with a frontal system over the southern Appalachian Mountains on August 28 . </P>

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