| On August 24, 1992 hurricane Andrew landed in | | | | Many families left the area to rebuild their lives in |
| Homestead, Florida laying a path of destruction as | | | | safer and less volatile locations. A huge effort was |
| it moved through the state. This was the worst | | | | made by local authorities and emergency service |
| storm to hit the area in over 30 years, and many | | | | agencies to provide better methods and |
| of the people living in the area were new to the | | | | technology for the detection, and tracking of such |
| region and never had experienced a storm like | | | | storms. The one good thing that happened as a |
| this before. | | | | result of this storm was that it motivated the |
| The Category four hurricane hit with winds | | | | locals to better prepare themselves for the |
| gusting to speeds of 175 miles per hour, and | | | | future. |
| swells reaching 17 feet in height along the coast. | | | | The economic consequences of this hurricane |
| The storm destroyed property and left as many | | | | were felt far and wide. After the storm almost |
| as 250,000 people homeless. Sixty Five people | | | | one and a half million people where left without |
| died as a result of the storm, and many more | | | | power, some for as long as 6 months. Businesses |
| suffered injuries. | | | | could not operate or had to move to temporary |
| The damage left in the wake of the hurricane | | | | facilities in an effort to rebuild and recover lost |
| was devastating. The ferocious storm destroyed | | | | revenues. Many businesses lost financial records, |
| or damaged an estimated 600,000 homes and | | | | and data that were crucial to the company's |
| businesses. Water and wind damage were in | | | | operations. The total damage from the storm |
| evidence all over. A great many of the homes | | | | was estimated at approximately 26 billion dollars. |
| located in this area were small mobile homes, and | | | | The residents of the state of Florida where ill |
| virtually all of them where reduced to rubble. Local | | | | prepared for a hurricane of this magnitude. Many |
| roads and highways received damage, and all | | | | were of a generation that had never before |
| major utilities experienced major interruptions of | | | | experienced such devastation, since the last |
| service. Local residents of the area were, in some | | | | major storm to hit the area occurred some 30 |
| cases, without power, water or, sewage for as | | | | years before. The need to take precautions in an |
| much as six months. The Florida coast was also | | | | effort to limit the effects of a natural disaster is |
| home to many boats and water craft and | | | | essential. Many insurance companies now offer |
| insurance claims for damage to these craft | | | | discounted rates to companies that include |
| amounted to millions. | | | | disaster planning into their standard business plans. |
| The social impact of this storm was far-reaching. | | | | It is not possible to be too well prepared. |