In this file photo from Aug. 25, 1992, residents at the Saga Bay apartment complex see firsthand what happened to their units after Hurricane Andrew blasted South Miami-Dade a day earlier on Aug. 24, 1992. Here, a man is seen inside his unit. Chuck Fadely Miami Herald File
Hurricane Andrew made landfall in South Florida on August 24, 1992, causing catastrophic damage as a Category 5 storm.
Landfall Winds: 165 mph sustained winds with gusts over 200 mph.
Financial Damage: $25 billion to $26 billion in Florida alone.
Total Deaths: 44 people (15 directly from the storm, 29 from aftermath accidents).
Homes Destroyed: 63,000 homes completely flattened.
People Displaced: 175,000 residents left homeless.
Power Loss: 1.4 million people lost electricity.
Homestead Air Force Base: The storm completely wrecked the military base.
Building Codes: The disaster forced Florida to create the strictest building laws in the nation.
Zoo Miami: Workers had to crowd flamingos into a bathroom to keep them safe from the wind.
The Miami-Herald has compiled a retrospective as we approach the anniversary of the storm.
Enjoy this gift article from FIRM.