Hurricane Milton brought me here. I’m showing my kids how dangerous these storms can be. We’re actually leaving Tampa and heading to Homestead in the morning. Stay safe everyone !!!
I was 12 when Andrew decimated Miami. I lived in Lakeland but had and still have family in Miami. Went days after with my mum to take supplies to family there. The devastation is still quite clear in my mind. When I visit Miami now, I live in Ireland, I can still see the remnants even over 30 years later. Please stay safe. 🙏 We can only hope and pray that Milton does not become a cat 4 or God forbid 5. I also still have family and friends in central Florida I will do my best to keep up with them in the coming days.
I was 1 year old baby and lived in Palm beach county for Andrew. My middle name is Andrew. Hurricane Milton brought me here aswell. Still in Palm Beach County. Sending prayers 🙏 to the west coast of Florida. God Bless Florida And all impacted by these devastating Hurricane s.
I was 17 when Andrew hit, my family lived in Kendall. The storm hit at night I will never forget the sounds that wind made and the projectiles hitting our home and cars. Finally when morning came and we stepped outside it looked like an atomic bomb had gone off. I still live in Florida and by far this was the worst Hurricane I have ever experienced. My family was very lucky that night, others lost everything and many died.
I grew up in central Florida but my mum's family is in and from Miami. We went to take supplies few days after and I remember spray painted on the wall of a subdivision rip Mom and Dad full stop that has always stuck with me. I was 12
I survived Andrew in a kitchen cabinet in kendall. I been through many hurricanes as a Florida native but the sounds of Andrew will never leave my head for as long as i live even 30 years later period. As an andrew survivor and hurricane vet I can assure you Andrew was in a league of its own!!!
@@reaperoflostsouls4323ecause not everyone has the money, you really don’t think things through do ya? Especially in the south Florida/ Everglades where a lot of people are dirt poor
@@reaperoflostsouls4323because at the time we have never seen a hurricane like Andrew. We would only get tropical storms. No one ever thought that it could happen. At 3 in the morning I heard a sound I never want to hear it again. It sounded like the Horn of a train being pulled next to your ear. It also sounded like when you are in an airplane. I was in Cutler ridge when hurricane Andrew in 1992 the house made to withstand category 3 hurricanes.
Just found this. My mother and stepfather were in Homestead when it hit. I listened to the stories, but until now, didn't see the actual event. Thank you for posting.
animaniacs Fan Ftw2008 Yeah, literally as In writing this there is a dangerous expected cat4 storm approaching eastern FL right now. Her name is Dorian.
I lived right across from Country Walk and i remember walking 152 st after the storm with my dad and brothers in disbelief. We lost our roof and the double door busted wide open. Crazy stuff never want to go thru that again.
Hurricane Andrew refined the definition of respect when it comes to hurricanes No longer do we think of a hurricane even if cat 1 as a small thing. Andrew went from 1 to 5 in a matter of hours, devastating everything in S Miami. You couldnt tell where you were, nothing to orient you to your location. Imagine hours in a closet,then, bathroom both flooded moved to hallway covering yourself kids and pets under a mattress. Roof gone, windows gone, walls, so called hurricane supplies under piles of glass, concrete boards that collapsed all around you. In the dark, raining so hard the drops hurt when they hit skin, the wind roaring as if trying to devour you. Everybody holding on to an edge of the mattress hoping to make out alive. Never prayed so hard, He heard me. A peace that let me know this is not the end. Lord thank you for the good things you do for man, for keeping us thru the storms of life. The days that followed were a storm of their own.
I was 19 years old when Andrew hit Miami. I worked the overnight shift at Xtra Superfoods 441 and County Line Road. My shift started at 10pm. I went home a few days later. We had employees and families living in the store. Sleeping upstairs. My crew clocked in that night and clocked out days later. I was on salary...no overtime for me . I love this video. So many memories.... Im still in retail management. I own my own stores and a restaurant and I live on one of the sexiest islands!!! Spread love, mind your own business, call loved ones, be nice to people. Peace and Love, everyone
i was 15 when this hit. I was in kendall. I will be forever tramatized but facinated with it at the same time. words can never explaine what i witnessed. The sound was like a million screaming wolves. It was a screaming rage sound that i have never heard in any other hurricane!!! Andrew was a monster!!! A demon!!! It was not a normal hurricane!!!
Rob Ray I was 7 when Andrew hit. I lived in Perrine. It as horrifying. Our walls were shaking and swaying in our house. The wind was howling through our roof and walls. It felt like a demonic presence had taken over. Unbelievable.
Jon Smith Same here. Once you go through such a force of nature, it sort of becomes a part of you. I remember during Wilma I sat in my car while it was blowing through.
I lost everything in Andrew and remember it well. I have PTSD from it. I was in the worst part...Between Cutler Ridge and Homestead. No human or animal should ever go through this. The video does not do it justice. God Bless
So, unless you were there and experienced it yourself, nobody can truly understand what it was like? Between Culter Ridge and Homestead? Yes, both of those places were hit very hard by Hurricane Andrew.
My sister surveyed Homestead as a claims adjuster and she was hysterical when she saw the devastation. How anyone made it through without PTSD should be examined. I’m so sorry you experienced that beast; I hope you have found some peace.
WTVJ did an amazing job reporting and warning everyone of Hurricane Andrew. I'm sure they had to win an award for this reporting and especially Brian Norcross. He did an outstanding job reporting. Norcross became the voice of this Hurricane and I know Florida residents felt safe and secure just listening to him while the Hurricane was moving across Florida. He should be very proud of himself.
THANK YOU for sharing this! My family and I lived on the corner of Krome Ave and 288th St when Andrew came through. We had lived there in our home, like MOST families in Homestead, for YEARS and like MOST, had no f***ing clue as to what we would go through by staying in our home during the storm. It's easy for someone outside-looking-in to say that those who chose to ride out the storm were ignorant, stupid, dumb-as-f***... well, until you walk a mile in our's or someone else's shoes, PLEASE keep your comments to yourself. And, for the ones who are quick to say "should have had homeowner's insurance", GUESS WHAT?! We had homeowner's insurance through Ocean Front Casualty... but because of the enormous amount of claims, they decided it would be alot easier to go bankrupt (which unfortunately was legal), so that they could line their pockets! Unfortunately, this left us and hundreds of other people with a condemned home, no job, AND ON TOP OF ALL OF THIS, we didn't qualify for a FEMA loan because, even though our insurance company went bankrupt... WE WERE STILL COVERED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. Appreciate life... Everything can change in a second. I'm so grateful for the life I have today, but I sure do miss "my home."
Labreeska Phillips I live off W Mowry drive 17th Ave. Andrew tore the house apart now Irma is coming and it's going to happen again. Still live in the same house because we rebuilt it.
MASON CROSS Wow, you don’t get it. I also lived off of Krome Ave in the Redlands and it wasn’t like today where u have the technical advances as well as even social media and everything else to warn you of how bad it could be. Not only that, we didn’t get full warning until the morning of, but even then we never got evacuation orders. It’s not like we could check a cell phone for updates lol. My dad was a pilot and was allowed to fly to New York that afternoon but not allowed to fly back to help up since it was hitting that night. Hell, they didn’t even upgrade Andrew to a category 5 until AFTER the storm. They didn’t realize about the tornados in the hurricane until after the when studied. Our house was only a year and a half old and it was 100% destroyed, yet the way it was presented beforehand it was made to seem the biggest issue was not having the first day of school the next day. lol I know for a fact you did not live in homestead back in ‘92 bc u would have understood the lack of warning and the underestimation of destruction. Nowadays, just like u did, u can look on UA-cam and see previous hurricanes or u can google the destruction. We didn’t have any of that back then. I will just assume you are very young and can’t even imagine life without internet. What hurricane before Andrew were we supposed to refer to according to u? (Without looking online lol). Thanks to Andrew u get to see the possible destruction. It’s all good. I wish u the best and hope u never have any terrible thing happen to u where someone tells u “I told u so”. Would be such a shame. Stay safe this hurricane season. :)
My mom went to florida for her 16th birthday and was unfortunate to be stuck in this hurricane but fortunate to be alive and im so glad she made it if not i wouldn't be here typing this god bless you all it sure was a blessing for her to be alive
@@lolasmom5816 Things were diff back then… pre-Andrew we didn’t have the experience , knowledge we have now. This was before internet, UA-cam videos, and todays technology. Most valuable asset was Brian Norcross live throughout Andrew broadcasting while Hunkering Down in the studio. Andrew became the Hurricane that we compare others to each year.
I love the pre storm interviews about people not thinking it was not going to be bad. I wish they interviewed the same people after the storm. See what they had to say.
A lot of people on Miami Beach went to stay with friends and family in Kendall and Homestead and as it turns out, they would’ve been better off staying where they were.
Coming in here a little late but, I’ll say that’s the dangerous reality of living here in Florida. You have 1) People who have been through a more minor hurricane and don’t think whatever incoming hurricane will be bad due to that prior experience. 2) You have people in denial (either religious or because they genuinely don’t understand how powerful it can get - these are also the Hurricane partiers). 3) You have people like me who have decided to go down with the “ship”, now if there was a Cat 5 incoming.. I would evacuate. Cat 1/2 is generally not that bad to evacuate unless you’re in a flood zone.
I was born in 1996. For my entire life up till 2005, I never heard or remember hearing any other hurricane mentioned other than Andrew up until Katrina happened.
Charlie Yeah, and the hurricanes have only gotten more intense since. Maria was just catastrophic, Harvey tied with Katrina in terms of financial costs, then you have Irma devastating South FL Micheal devastating Northwestern Florida and now at this very moment when I'm writing this an expected cat4 hurricane approaching eastern Florida appearing to be catastrophic as well- her name: Dorian.
It was unprecedented, Andrew was. I was a baby in 92. Both Katrina and Andrew were like bombs being dropped is basically all I can describe the damage as.
Kyle Sterling Yes your right they were both very dangerous. So was Dorian, which was much stronger than both Katrina and Andrew- Dorian was historic in fact as one of the most powerful storms in the history of Atlantic basin to the Bahamas several days ago! Will take generations for them to recover unfortunately.
Coco Taveras Dorian in terms of wind speed is stronger then Katrina yes. But in terms of intensity, aka pressure, size and storm surge Katrina was stronger. But then you add in the fact that Dorian still had higher winds, a similar surge, and that it basically stalled out right over the Bahamas. That’s something that not even typhoon Haiyan couldn’t match to.
I was living in downtown Miami during this storm. UNREAL. As detailed as this is, It doesn't event come close to telling the story of what this was like. Nothing was recognizable. The yellow lines of the street were gone, trees twisted like corkscrews, large trees the fell and took the entire road with it. The walls would swell and breath with the wind. To this day, the silence of the eye, was the worst because you knew that the other side was going to be way more violent. My advice....don't ride out a big hurricane.
We left town and came back a few days later. When we got off the turnpike, we quickly got disorientated and almost lost after living in the same house for nearly 20 years. That’s how unrecognizable things were and we didn’t even live in Country Walk or Homestead where the damage was at its worst. Before heading back into town, I went to Publix and stocked up on some essentials including stuff for my friend’s small baby.
We were in Lake Okeechobee when Andrew hit & I remember Andrew was not anticipated to be as bad as it turned out to be...it was wicked here, an hour or so north of Miami & Homestead, that storm came in like a buzzsaw, OMG 😲 We STILL have an environmental disaster from it due to the Serpentarium down there getting blowed away & the SNAKES escaping...the pythons, etc...some of them have migrated to our area around the Lake here & huge ones have been killed close to my house & they are in Lake canal reservoirs...all thanks to Andrew
My dog was a stray rescued from Hurricane Harvey, all these years later she is still afraid of water. She’s a pointer and blue heeler who hates to swim. She hates wind storms, rain, puddles and even baths. She gets really bad anxiety when we have bad weather, here in Washington State we had a rain and wind storm last night all night. A huge branch smashed our roof along with a million little ones. Her anxiety gets so bad she makes herself sick, she gets nauseated and won’t sleep. I try to distract her and comfort her, I feel awful she’s still so scared. Bless all of the people who have lived through and died during these Hurricanes. Everything they have lost and all of the hero’s and wonderful people who come to the rescue of everyone and animals.
I remember calling my co-workers who lived on the ocean side of the intracoastal waterway and told them to come to my house. I was all prepared, my windows taped up.....yeah.....I was young and didn't really understand how strong a hurricane can be. Thankfully my area was not the targeted area, but we did lose power and many people from work did for weeks. Thank you for sharing. Praying for all preparing for Dorian.
Same, watching it and feel sick- remember seeing it all over the news from New England (aunt was in Fort Lauderdale and wasn’t as bad affected like Homestead). 2 years prior in 1990 I went through Hurricane Bob- a Cat 2 that did it’s fair share of destruction. Lights went out, all kinds of damage (I live on the coast), boats on bridges and causeways, so I can’t imagine a 5 which Andrew/Katrina were!
The hospital I worked in on Ormond beach Florida went down right after ANDREW and with Uhaul volunteers 😢and he Red Cross would NOT LET US IN. HAVE NOT DONATED TO THEM SINCE😮😢😢
There is a flock of little green parrots that now lives a few hundres miles north of Miami near my mother's house, where they went after escaping from the zoo during Andrew.
Hmmm I have a Quaker and was thinking I saw/heard Quaker’s but they have black faces and green bodies and sound like a Quaker parrot. I live in boynton beach now but am from broward and have seen small flocks of parrots about twice
So many people including myself in my young selfish ignorance have sold all of our old VHS tapes. I regret that now. Thank you for having the willingness to save things like this that help preserve history.
Andrew you as the first hurricane I ever went through. I am now on my 6th hurricane as IAN has just done it’s damaged to my home. Each time I have made better and better improvements to my home. I figured after 1-2 more I’ll have a hurricane proof home.
Excellent documentation of Hurricane Andrew and the aftermath. Immediately notice how well spoken most of the people being interviewed were. Same can't be said anymore, depressing how far we've fallen.
My mom was two years younger than I am now when she went through this in South Miami Homestead and she always told me about how she survived this while I was growing up and how she had to grab my three year old brother at the time from trying to run outside during the eye of Andrew because she knew as soon as it grew deadly silent that the worst was yet to come. Pebbles hitting like gunfire on the metal screen door and I believe she said a huge tree took out part of the roof. I was born two years later and being a 90’s baby it is a tribute in my eyes to witness this and gain understanding of these horrific experiences, and I’m always looking for these priceless documentaries and grateful for them. Endlessly fascinating and humbling…
@@marissaford6010 Katrina was weaker than Andrew, Katrina's reputation was flooding, and a lot of that was due to poor levee maintenance in the New Orleans area, that and New Orleans, like Houston, is built inside of a bowl, below sea level. Andrew's winds were far more destructive than Katrina, which was a Cat 3 when it made landfall, Andrew was a 5, and no one ever found out how truly strong the winds got as the storm destroyed equipment at the Hurricane Center which could've made an accurate measurement of wind speed. Had the Army Corp of Engineers taken care of the levee issue (and word is, that has still yet to be done), the flooding may not have been nearly as bad. Mississippi is the state that felt the true full wrath of Katrina's winds, and they were far lesser than Andrew's. I live a little over 100 miles west of New Orleans, and I was working the day it hit, not 1 drop of rain, not one gust of wind, despite being on the west side of the storm, cirrus clouds throughout the sky. Rita would kick our butts here not that long after Katrina, taking care of business her sister did not in my half of the state. 15 years later, Laura would devastate the same area Rita did, but spare New Orleans, and the eastern half of Louisiana.
I survived Andrew as well. Our house was on 152nd Street/89th court, off of Coral Reef Drive. All the homes were destroyed, apartment buildings were razed by tornados. I remember driving back down from Fort Lauderdale the next day, and trying to take the route through the Grove, and that was impassable, because there were boats and yachts IN THE STREET, and the banyan trees were toppled over, and I had to backtrack out and take US1 South. And from Downtown driving south, the farther you got, the less that was left standing. Later we drove to Homestead, Cutler Ridge Mall was in ruins, and looters were taking whatever they could get their hands on. When we got to Homestead, it was a cathartic disaster. Like downtown Homestead had been blown off the map, and all that was left were match sticks in piles all over the place. My parents were in Connecticut, and I surveyed the destroyed house, then drove back north to call them and tell them not to come home, because they did not have a home to come back to. I gave them a list of things to get (food/a generator/CASH/etc. ) and ship on the plane down a few days later, once I secured what was left of our house. ( 1 room ) The rest of the house was water logged and flooded and the roof was in tatters. When they arrived back in Miami, I was at the house waiting for them, and my father got out of the car and fell to his knees and sobbed. We had a 50 foot silver oak tree outside my bedroom window that was pulled up out of the ground and dropped on the house next door, destroying it in one drop. Our patio screening was mangled and dropped unceremoniously into the pool. There was an apartment building behind our house that backed onto US 1, and when the tornado came through it razed the building to the ground, there was nothing left but bricks and cement blocks piled everywhere. My friend Cory's mom lived in that building and she was devastated too. In time my parents got a FEMA trailer to live in while the house was rebuilt. Metro Zoo was destroyed and animals were walking the streets. We slept in cars at the top of the streets with loaded guns to protect from looters, because that was a HUGE problem for a long time. It was living hell for a very long time.
I was in homestead when this happend and im glad you survived what scared me to death were the winds it sounded like 1000 freight trains in your ears for hours and hours i was in my bathroom and you could here the wind in the toilet like a loud suction then the roof went flying off our tv landed next to us so we took rope and tied down a king size mattress to the toilet i really thought this is it were gonna die any second we made it the mattress was so heavy from the rain it took all we had to get it off of us then we walked outside i didnt know what i was looking at my truck was across the street stuck in the side of a shed and my new camaro was destroyed their were 7 people dead in destroyed houses in our neighborhood every single tree was down well you lived through it to so tou know the rest!!
@@jasonlinton9902 You Survived !!! Well Done. I had to secure our house because of looters in my area, before the military came in, days later. But I drove down to Cutler Ridge Mall and it was a mess. When I finally got down to Homestead, I thought that a bomb had fallen. My aunt and uncle had an apartment building near the crossroads where the shops used to be right across from the sports field. It was blown apart. The home we lived in (in) Homestead when we came to Florida was destroyed nd the elementary school I attended in that neighborhood was wiped off the map. When I moved to Canada in 2002, (Funny story) I was in university in the early 2000's. I was in a Disaster Class with a well known disaster Earthquake and disaster studies. One day she put up Andrew on the overhead, telling the class that "Oh, it wasn't really a big storm and nobody died so there's nothing to talk about." I stood up in the lecture hall in front of everyone and walked to the podium below us. And I looked at her and said, "Me thinks you need to recant what you just said, because I was there. People died, Many people died. And yes it was the worst storm to hit South Florida in decades. I took over the lecture from her slides and lecture notes and taught that class for her. She was not happy at all I upstaged her.
I don’t live in the states so know very little off these weather monsters, however given the number off hurricanes that have been reported on here in Britain most notably Katrina, Irma and Micheal but as bad as these Hurricanes have been Andrew seems to be the one Hurricane most off you Americans remember. And after seeing this I now know why. God bless everyone affected by these Hurricanes. Stay safe America all the way from Scotland 🏴
Andrew and also Katrina, Wilma, Rita, Ike, Charlie, Irma, Hugo, Dorian, and a handful more. I actually had to evacuate from Irma and go up to Atlanta to stay with my parents for a week and it ended up not even being that bad damage wise. Thank you so much for your kind words.
I was in Katrina. I was in the town of Bay St. Louise. Never will forget that destruction. I have pics where greyhound buses were thrown through a Kmart type Department store but if I remember correctly it was located closer to Gulfport but may had been in the Bay. The most memorable things to me were the vast number of damaged homes, I remember seeing so many houses with numbers and symbols on them from where the govt tagged them. I think it showed death or survivors. I also remember the mass amount of FEMA trailers and those tents we had to get supplies from for months and months. I remember a beautiful white chapel on the beach that had just a wall left standing but was amazed even that made it. The smell of dead fish that never seemed to leave plus so so much more...
I had a Twilight Zone experience after Andrew. It was so hot at night, that I decided to sleep on our front porch. We had a three foot high concrete wall that blocked the view from the road. I was woken up by sounds I didn't recognize. I was afraid it might be looters, so I peeked over the wall. It was a squadron of armed National Guards walking down our street. It was so bizarre.
I lived in a small subdivision close to metrozoo and turnpike.it had been destroyed but I was still in what was left of my house because there were thousands of abandoned,lost,etc animals all over the streets and I had rescued about 40cats and dogs withing about a week.literally people took of and left their pets to fend for themselves.I was the only person still living in my subdivision,there was none there,most houses includong mine,had been condemned unsafe. One evening o heard something in my front yard,it was a couple of national guard.they asked me if I was OK;I said yes I'm fine. I really must have been in shock then and remained that way for at least a couple of years;I thought to myself "I wonder why they're asking me if I'm ok?...that's strange that they stopped by to ask me.like, why wouldn't I be OK?". There was zero ele tricity,no lights,the area was deserted,my house didn't have windows,doors,missing a wall and also no roof,and also wasn't a great neighborhood to begin with;but I never considered that I was in danger;of crime,etc. Its only in rece t years,that I realize the extent of trauma that experience had on my life.
*_God Bless you. I was ONE YEAR OLD. Had I have been older, I'd be livin' in the same misery you have went through. You pulled through this...nightmare._*
I was one of those National Guardsmen, and it was pretty freaky for us too. We convoyed down from Central Florida and came in right after the storm. We thought we’d be there for a week, but ended up staying for 51 days. Hard times for all. Too deep and too many unbelievable events to even tell. Most of us were working exclusively at night. Pitch black, no road signs, lots of problems, loaded weapons, and no playbook for the situation. 51 nights making life altering decisions. Good people and some very bad people, depending on where you were. Looting was only a problem for a few days. After that it was drugs and what they do to people. Crack was at its peak. Anyone reading this, please be aware that National Guardsmen are fully trained soldiers, but also citizens, with jobs, businesses and families. When they show up, remember that they left all of that to do their duty. Thanks.
I was born in 1988 and I believe Andrew is one of my earliest memories. I remember being both excited and a bit scared as my family huddled in the living room away from windows and we would hear the bang bang of avocados and mangos hitting our doors and shuttered windows. I remember feeling the draft as one of our windows broke even with the shutters still mostly intact. All of the doors closed, trying to keep structural integrity. The smell of the kerosene lanters and the smell of the ocean coming in. I was in Carol City.
Thank you for posting this and saving it. It was good to see David Bloom’s reporting in it, and the hosting of Bryan Norcross throughout. The outro was spot on. This is an important historical record.
I too also survived this Hurricane. We were evacuated and went to stay at a friend's house in Coral Springs. Did not know that he would go there! I fell asleep listening to the sound of the deadly howling winds, until the room I was staying in got hit by debris and broke the window above me. Luckily they taped it and had a blind to guard me from the following flying glass. Still sits on my mind even today 20 years later!
We were in Coconut Creek, so blessed, minimal branches down and 3 days no power- no phones . Knew so many folks involved w/ bringing help south to the hard-hit Homestead … trucks of water, food, baby supplies. For many of us Andrew became The One we use to measure other storms by…. Then Katrina… Michael… Ian 😢
I've lived in Fort Lauderdale for a long time, and if there is one thing I have learned from hurricanes like this, it is the incredible unity and strength that the people of Broward and Miami Dade have after the storms are gone. We have experienced some seriously traumatic things and we always rebuild.
So sad. I feel terrible for those without insurances including renter's insurance so many forget. It is always worth paying the premiums. What ever happened with all those people? I don't understand (yes, it is alot more affordable) why people including snowbirds, buy mobile homes in areas known to have storms. Scary and sad all way around.
I was a teen during Andrew. Born and raised in Broward. It is a standout for me because it was the first major storm I was old enough to truly experience. Damage personally was minimal for us because we lived in Hollywood in my childhood home. We had roof damage and downed trees, electric out for weeks etc. I remember feeling so badly for Dade and being thankful it didn't hit Broward dead on at the same time. Human nature I guess. Years later after I was married and pregnant with my second child living in Pembroke Pines is when the most devastating hurricane hit for me. Though it was nothing compared to Andrew in size and intensity, it destroyed my home and neighborhood. Her name was Wilma. Then I moved to Central Florida and was hit by Irma with quite a bit of damage. Then I moved to North Carolina and got hit by Florence. Of course there were many other storms between. We had a little damage from Katrina too. Worst part with Katrina was the electricity being out for what seemed like forever.
Jeez buddy, I'm sorry for all that loss. I live in Southern Ontario, and Sandy was the only thing that came close in my life, and that was a fraction of the strength compared to the storms you mentioned. Folks in the south are among the toughest and most resilient I've encountered.
That Irma was something. It was chasing us around the state. First, the forecast had Irma curving north before striking Florida. Then, it was going to hit the east coast so we went closer to Orlando. Then, the forecast track changed and we went to Tampa. Eventually, the storm came very close to Tampa. We were lucky that we had zero damage and only faced 80-85 mph winds in Tampa but being chased around the state by a hurricane isn't fun.
This is a night I will never forget. We were in Homestead and 😢😢😢😢 just knowing that people passed away . I’m thankful that God spared our lives . In Irma my heart stopped beating . I can’t deal with storms anymore. I moved to Central Florida but I don’t know 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
I was 7 when Andrew hit. It was like our house was demonically possessed -the winds howling like wolves through our AC vents, the walls swaying back and forth, shutters flying off the windows in our kitchen and tearing the roof off our kitchen and living room. My parents, brother, and I ended up in the master closet holding their mattress over our heads and saying our prayers. In the morning, we came out to utter devastation.
August 16, 1992. My family and I drove to Ft. Lauderdale to take shelter in a friend's trailer park trailer. It was specifically designed to withstand hurricanes. I don't remember much since I was young at the time, but we were without power, only having to get by using lanterns and listening to the battery operated radio as we waited out the storm for days. It was terrifying hearing the winds of Andrew on the other side of the steel wall. That sound of death and destruction. After it was over, we headed back to our house in the Miami area. The ceiling had caved in, all the windows were broken, the iron bars for the sliding door in the back were bent in as if a car had ran into it. Ironically, the aquarium holding goldfish in my bedroom managed to survive somehow by some miracle. We moved away from the Sunshine State for good after that. My heart bleeds for you, Floridians, with Hurricane Irma coming.
I am happy you and your family were not harmed. Especially the gold fish :) Although I find it very hard to understand people who can leave behind a pet, who is basically a family member. SMH
We were supposed to be stationed at Homestead. Andrew hit a week before we were to arrive. We were sent to Montana instead. I live in FL now. Folks have gotten very comfortable & forget how serious these storms get.
Look up "New England's Killer Hurricane of 1938." Nobody believed that a big hurricane could get that far north. That one did, and nobody knew it was coming.
Andrew is the first hurricane I can remember. I was 10. We lived (still do) in Louisiana and it the first hurricane I can remember sitting and watching the news coverage of.
I was living in Tampa when this hit, but it was still pretty powerful by the time it got to us. School wasn't cancelled during the storm and most of the kids who walked to school talked about how the winds were so powerful, they weren't able to walk against the wind. It would push them back or force them to stay right where they were. What is amazing is by this time, Andrew only had tropical storm level winds. The hurricane level winds must have been frightening.
As a meteorologist, this made me want to become one at 7. Thanks so much for this. Please take these phenomena seriously. Humans can be so arrogant but we are SO fragile. Great to see how we all work together when these things happen tho. #andrew
Juice8815 we are the same age then. I liv d in Perrine. Our whole neighborhood was flattened. We spent the storm praying in the closet with the mattress over our heads. The walls were shaking and the roof was ripped off of our living room and kitchen. The next morning the closet roof came crashing down.
Місяць тому+3
I’m new to your channel and this video brought back memories as I am from South Florida and lived through Andrew with a family six at the time. We evacuated, and the evacuation school was later deemed unacceptable and buses, took them to other areas and my family hunker down at the school because I had small children. It was too too much to move. We were happy to be available for people stranded in the storm knocking on the school door that would’ve been locked so we were there to open the doors and get them out of the storm and we all got in the center of the school. When we came out, it was a horrific scene but Fort Lauderdale, of course was not as damaged as Miami area. Severe devastation. Thank you so much for sharing how we should not compare devastations because Miami got a lot of publicity fort lauderdale was hit pretty hard and several areas .. now moved north to Pittsburgh, prayers for my children who were only babies during Andrew.living in central Florida. Now with Milton praying for you and yours too 🙏🏾
Thanks so much for the post. I'm a weather buff and remember watching CNN all night that night. There hadn't been a Katrina yet, but the national media never even hinted at the hellish aftermath those poor people suffered. I sure hope they're all happy and healthy now. Until next time...
I always find it funny how the weather channels are like, “Please stay indoors” then they have one of their employees standing outside talking about the storm
Thanks for the upload. I was 5 when this happened, I remember being in a tub with blankets wondering where my dad was due to him working at the time and I still remember how it sounded like a freight train hitting constantly on walls and everything outside was just coming down. Like they said in the beginning, it sounded like death was coming.
at around 18:00 was so heartbreaking when everyone started calling in, you have nothing left but to call in and hope to hear a familiar voice in a storm that feels otherworldly
I was 13 and Survived Hurricane Andrew wedged under the dashboard of my moms 89 Toyota Camry buried in the garage of our townhouse in Country Walk. It's still something I think about almost daily and has affected the way I treat and respect Mother Nature since.
I'm Canadian and hurricane Harvey & Irma brought me here. Praying for Texas and Florida with all my heart. God bless you all and protect your precious children. Please take your kids and leave now! Don't risk their precious lives thinking you could ride Irma out. Will continue to pray for you and your loved ones. Be safe.
My daughter lost her house in Andrew. I didn’t hear from her for 48 hours. I was sick with worry. Finally, she got to a phone and they needed a truck and water and we got it to her from Asheville NC.
Glad to hear after those longest 48 fearful hunt feelings, that you heard from her and got to get to her so you could be there for her for comfort and support and I know she was so happy to see you all also !! Glad it all went well for you all god bless you all to this day !!!
Oh boy, memories....... Friends of mine lived in Broward county during Andrew and the pics they showed me marked me for life. Prayers to to all Floridians who witnessed this.
I remember being through the eye in Delray Beach during Wilma. It was surreal. Bright, calm period and in just a minute it turns into the worst of the hurricane.
Thanks for uploading, people are beginning to forget about Andrew! Like people are forgetting about the Florida Labor Day hurricane and the Hurricane of 1938!
That was 1935. It struck Islamorada. It was a small storm. Worse than Andrew intensity. Survivors described it was terrible. Ernest Hemingway wrote a book about the storm. Many labour workers (depression era) lost their lives. The train arrived too late and it was knocked down by the wind and the water from the ocean flooded the train cars and people drowned. The government did not do much in response. Many workers who drowned were minorities. Hundreds lost their lives. If a storm of that intensity happened in a highly populated are in Florida with people not taking it seriously, it would be worse than Katrina.
Seeing this 29 yrs later is still jarring. Also seeing the broadcasters, and where they went from here. Sadly, a classmate who is no longest with us, David Bloom.
I was 6 visiting my grandparents in Miami when this hit. I’ll never forget the sound that it made. We came back to Chicago and nine months later my brother was born. His name was almost Andrew because of it. This footage is insane
I was in South Florida about two or three days after Andrew came through, and I have a memory of seeing a large truck on the roof of a single-story building. It was somewhere in the Kendall or Cutler Ridge area, right off of a major highway. Looking back now, I can't believe that a Hurricane can actually pick up a heavy vehicle and blow it onto the roof of a building, but that's what I remember seeing. It was so long ago now, I wonder if I imagined it.
I lived in the Perrine/Cutler Ridge area. If you took SW 117th street north towards SW 152nd Ave, you would pass the Coca Cola warehouse, and the Holsum bread kitchen. The storm grabbed those big box trucks from both businesses and tossed them across the roadway over to the Coast Guard base. These were big trucks, just strewn about. I lived on 115th and 174th. Couple of block away...
That was the most terrifying night of my life! I lived off of Coral Reef Drive and SW 112th Ave. Southside! I was celebrating my birthday which is actually Aug 24th the night before. Being an essential employee for Dade County I had to report for duty that Monday to assist where needed! During the storm I heard and saw things during the night that I still have fear. The screams in the wind, objects levitating in mid air! The pressure of exploding windows in my house! I will never forget that night! And of course I can't! Last name Andrews and birthday Aug 24th.
We lived on SW 174th street and 115th ave. The worst part was it was pitch black. You couldn't see anything, only hear the destruction. As a 9 yo that was the most traumatizing part. Then when it was all over, to come out to that devastation, and realize it was all just beginning...
Thank you for sharing your story and for being there for the community. I was 3yrs old at the time and my sister was 20days old, my parents weathered the storm with us in homestead near NE 11st/308 sw st. The house we were staying at was completely destroyed.
Although I was 3 and wasn't in Florida yet I can relate because 12 years later Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda got slammed with Charley and my neighborhood looked the same like a bomb went off! I was 15 when I went through Charley and I have never been more scared in my life! Literally fainted later that evening because I was so stressed and traumatized by what my fam and I went through. We watched our sliders bow in and out and watched our pool cage get ripped apart and a piece of it kept slamming into our sliders and I was waiting for the glass to give out and break! My cat who was around 5 months at that time didn't seem to be affected by the hurricane at all. Now my dog and bird were another story. I had a cockatiel that was always talking that the moment that storm hit us with silent the whole time and our dog did nothing but whimper and Yelp on and off! So I feel you when it comes to Andrew granted I didn't Experience Andrew but 12 years later I did experience Charlie and he basically leveled Punta Gorda in a lot of Port Charlotte.. although I will say Charlie did not really carry much surge not like Andrew luckily I lived behind a river so if he had been carrying surge I probably wouldn't be here today
Of the many things not covered in this documentary, no comment was made about the people who took their own lives after the hurricane, purely due to not getting the help they needed from the government. So many years have passed, I was 7 years old when this happened, I remember our school asking us to donate any toys or clothes we could spare, and we were sent home with letters to our parents asking for clothing, first aid supplies, food, blankets, and anything else we could spare. Such a heart wrenching thing to happen
Brian Norcross was and is the bomb!!! His voice on my a.m. radio got me through much of Andrew.... until it all went to hell. People need to remember this was 28 years ago.
After-effects of natural disasters aren't always understood. Hurricane Andrew brought "Blue Mold" up from the Caribbean into the U.S. so early in the Tobacco growing season that crops were devastated with blue mold holes in the leaves. Tobacco leaves with holes in them will not make good cigars!!@@TravelingRobert
Wow!! On a sad 😢 side note: the reporter @12:53 David Bloom in the yellow raincoat that interviewed the little cutie & her parents about “Camping in the closet”.. he was an NBC Today Show weekend anchor w/ Soledad O’Brien! (After 9/11 & we went to war,) On April 6, 2003, he was traveling with the U.S. Third Infantry Division in Iraq covering the War in a cramped vehicle, reporting live, round-the-clock. He had been on assignment in Iraq for several weeks when a blood clot in his leg (DVT) traveled to an artery in his lungs, causing a fatal pulmonary embolism. The clot in his leg was likely brought on by spending long days and nights cramped inside armored vehicles. He was only 39, married w/ 3 little girls. It was so sad. Everybody liked him a lot. I preferred him to sleazy Matt Lauer, any day. Crazy to think that he goes to Iraq to cover a war & instead of being killed by an IED or enemy fire, he gets a DVT & dies. So sad.
I was thinking about him the entire time they showed the damage...I was wondering if he was able to admit he was wrong after that...All I could think of in my head was "do you think they overhyped it now, Morris?" (gave him a classic old man name lol). I am sure he is long gone by now, so we will likely never know what he thought after.
Look up "New England's Killer Hurricane of 1938." ONE GUY accurately predicted that it would slam directly into New England. The older, "wiser" men said, "Shut up. You're just a kid. We have years of experience, and we KNOW that no serious hurricane could EVER get that far north!" Well, it did, and nobody knew it was coming.
I’m in the UK and luckily, due to where we’re located, we tend not to fear of storms. That I’m very thankful for, especially watching the reporter at 14:15, how devoted to your job must you be to have that fear in your voice, bless you Bruce
The woman talking about her kids and her taking refuge under the stairs is barely keeping it together but she’s doing it for her kids. I moved to Miami a year after Andrew and the trauma people expressed was palpable. When people found out I didn’t live through it they would commonly look me in the eye and say something along the lines of “You don’t understand. You can’t.” And then describe their experience and absolute terror and I could tell they were right. You really can’t get it-get it unless you lived it.
37:48 Tania Smallwood. For some reason I had a "I wonder they are now" moment and looked up the name. Sadly she passed away about two years ago. I enjoyed reading her Tribute page.
I visited the year after with my family from England, doing the Disney thing. Our second week was in Miami and I had a day out visiting the Everglades, birdwatching. I drove through Homestead and the surrounding area. It's something I'll NEVER forget. It was like a Sci-fi movie with everything flattened and this was a YEAR later! We are always talking about the weather over here but we don't get anything that comes close to this. Andrew was arguably THE Hurricane in terms of wind.
This one hit on my birthday so every time I have to give my date of birth, especially anywhere near Homestead, they automatically remember Andrew. My home was near Homestead but it survived. I sat on my front porch when the eye passed overhead. I will never forget it.
I remember it felt like the whole world was shaking .The wind sounded like it was a monster , my uncle put up these hurricane proof shutters in the end Andrew ripped those in two literally ,we lived in an apt complex that looked like a war zone in the aftermath. We were in kendall areas further down south got it worse
It still amazes me that I survived this Hurricane at the age of 13 years old. I lived in Leisure City, FL at that time. I was in the eye of the hurricane & I thought my family & I were going to die. I never prayed so hard in my life. The noise of the hurricane was so loud it sounded like an atomic bomb. We were out of power for weeks & couldn’t even take a shower. The food trucks came into our neighborhood & delivered a garbage bag full of groceries every day. They even gave us a small barbecue grill. We had barbecue chicken every day lol. They also set up a Burger King & McDonalds stand & every day around lunch time they gave out free food. Other than the food, I was miserable for weeks. And unfortunately I experienced 2 more hurricanes after this.....Mathew & Irma but it wasn’t as devastating(in the area I lived in) as Andrew. Sometimes It’s sucks living in FL.
It's sad to be going through and dealing with something so hard and difficult and the only thing that brings you comfort is knowing that someone else is going through the same thing
I remember it well. In central Fla. ...it wasn't a huge issue. I was canoeing with friends, just another rainy day. No one knew how bad it would be. Thank you for sharing.
I am watching this on the 25th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew. When Andrew hit, I was living in Marathon, the Florida Keys. I decided not to evacuate, and did not want to be caught on US 1 for hours trying to get out of there. In hindsight, it was a good decision. We got neither rain nor wind from Andrew, although our power was out for a week. I can look back and laugh at one instance. While watching Bryan Norcross days before Andrew made landfall, I got so sick to my stomach that I "puked my guts out". It certainly was not funny at the time.
Yeah I understand getting stuck on us 1 would have been horrible .... I hate getting stuck on there now let alone when something like that is going on.... Smart choice
I was born after Andrew, but hearing the stories my parents would tell me still shock me to this day. I’m grateful to not have gone through what so many did back in ‘92, and I thank them for laying the groundwork in showing how to rebuild during such a horrible disaster.
I was there... I will never forget what I saw... I lived in Homestdead but stayed with a relitive in Cutler Ridge... We didn't get power back for 6 weeks... We all lived like cave people... Only when the 82ndd showed up did things improve... I will never forget Andrew...
I was in Leisure City, near Homestead, when this hit. I will tell you this. Going through a hurricane like this, is one of the scariest things you could ever experience. It was a constant rampant sound of hell on earth. I will never forget this event until my dying days. Waking up and looking out seemed like you were in ground zero of an atomic bomb blast. When you looked north, south, east, and west and there was nothing in the skyline, it was terrifying. Also, we were very lucky that the nuclear power plant, Turkey Point, did not go into meltdown. Or whatever could have happened to it. Very, very, lucky. A storm like this, is fascinating and scary as all hell!
Billo1281 I was living in homestead at the time and I feel the same exact way. It’s hard to describe the experience to people, but even just looking at this footage makes my eyes all up with tears.
Billo1281 I was in Leisure City too. I was 13 years old at that time. And what you described is exactly what happened. In my neighborhood there was only 5 houses left standing including ours. I lived near the base. I forgot the name of that military base. Anyway I live in north FL now. Every year I get scared all over again every time a hurricane hits FL. I’ve also been in Matthew & Irma, but Andrew was the worst.
That happened to us. We knew our neighbors but when we lost power for a week in Massachusetts, we all hung outside together and talked with each other. It's one of my best memories.
I was about 9yrs old living in Lil Haiti when Andrew hit. I remember feeling the building shake at times! The next day was a disaster! No power for days!! The National guard came into the neighborhood handing out food, water, and supplies. We went around climbing fallen trees, snatching up mangos and avocadoes. lol the memories!
Hurricane Milton brought me here. I’m showing my kids how dangerous these storms can be. We’re actually leaving Tampa and heading to Homestead in the morning. Stay safe everyone !!!
I was 12 when Andrew decimated Miami. I lived in Lakeland but had and still have family in Miami. Went days after with my mum to take supplies to family there. The devastation is still quite clear in my mind.
When I visit Miami now, I live in Ireland, I can still see the remnants even over 30 years later. Please stay safe. 🙏
We can only hope and pray that Milton does not become a cat 4 or God forbid 5. I also still have family and friends in central Florida I will do my best to keep up with them in the coming days.
I was in Hialeah for Andrew in Fort Lauderdale for Milton
I was 1 year old baby and lived in Palm beach county for Andrew. My middle name is Andrew. Hurricane Milton brought me here aswell. Still in Palm Beach County. Sending prayers 🙏 to the west coast of Florida. God Bless Florida And all impacted by these devastating Hurricane s.
Out of all places you head to homestead? This is where Andrew hit and destroyed the place entirely. Real smart.
Im in Tampa watching this to see what to expect
I was 17 when Andrew hit, my family lived in Kendall. The storm hit at night I will never forget the sounds that wind made and the projectiles hitting our home and cars. Finally when morning came and we stepped outside it looked like an atomic bomb had gone off. I still live in Florida and by far this was the worst Hurricane I have ever experienced. My family was very lucky that night, others lost everything and many died.
I grew up in central Florida but my mum's family is in and from Miami. We went to take supplies few days after and I remember spray painted on the wall of a subdivision rip Mom and Dad full stop that has always stuck with me. I was 12
I was 27 and will never forget.
I was 15 and clearly remember how bad it was.
Hurricane Andrew
Anytime there’s a hurricane older Floridians mention Andrew and a shiver goes down their spine
What about Wilma
seems like just yesterday to me....same was said for hurricane Donna...just not as many people at the time..
😢
I was 6 and live in Maryland and I still remember it lol
@@OliverBrosVideos Wilma was nasty. Really bad. People are making Milton seem like the worst thing ever, but it won't even touch it
I survived Andrew in a kitchen cabinet in kendall. I been through many hurricanes as a Florida native but the sounds of Andrew will never leave my head for as long as i live even 30 years later period. As an andrew survivor and hurricane vet I can assure you Andrew was in a league of its own!!!
Hurricane Andrew
Thats exactly how I feel about the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake in California.
Knowing how bad the storms get there why don't people build storm proof homes?
@@reaperoflostsouls4323ecause not everyone has the money, you really don’t think things through do ya? Especially in the south Florida/ Everglades where a lot of people are dirt poor
@@reaperoflostsouls4323because at the time we have never seen a hurricane like Andrew. We would only get tropical storms. No one ever thought that it could happen. At 3 in the morning I heard a sound I never want to hear it again. It sounded like the Horn of a train being pulled next to your ear. It also sounded like when you are in an airplane. I was in Cutler ridge when hurricane Andrew in 1992 the house made to withstand category 3 hurricanes.
Just found this. My mother and stepfather were in Homestead when it hit. I listened to the stories, but until now, didn't see the actual event. Thank you for posting.
I've been in Florida for 40 years. New residents particularly need to watch this.
Hope ya stay safe during hurricane season~!
Hurricane Dorian is starting to look like it will be a bit blowey eh?
Ive been here 10 days and now Dorian is going to kill me
animaniacs Fan Ftw2008 Yeah, literally as In writing this there is a dangerous expected cat4 storm approaching eastern FL right now. Her name is Dorian.
@@CocoTaveras8975 Yes...we know. Its already a Category 4 and is now expected to become a Cat 5.
I almost died because of Hurricane Andrew. I send a special thank you for those who saved my life.
Sounds like a load of shit
Happy to hear you survived.
Stolen valor
Wow! I hope u stay safe during this years hurricanes (if they have hurricane season)
I lived right across from Country Walk and i remember walking 152 st after the storm with my dad and brothers in disbelief. We lost our roof and the double door busted wide open. Crazy stuff never want to go thru that again.
Hurricane Andrew refined the definition of respect when it comes to hurricanes
No longer do we think of a hurricane even if cat 1 as a small thing. Andrew went from 1 to 5 in a matter of hours, devastating everything in S Miami. You couldnt tell where you were, nothing to orient you to your location. Imagine hours in a closet,then, bathroom both flooded moved to hallway covering yourself kids and pets under a mattress. Roof gone, windows gone, walls, so called hurricane supplies under piles of glass, concrete boards that collapsed all around you. In the dark, raining so hard the drops hurt when they hit skin, the wind roaring as if trying to devour you. Everybody holding on to an edge of the mattress hoping to make out alive. Never prayed so hard, He heard me. A peace that let me know this is not the end. Lord thank you for the good things you do for man, for keeping us thru the storms of life. The days that followed were a storm of their own.
A lot of people think it’s a small thing still.
Cat 1 isn’t bad for good construction. Building codes in the 80’s were insufficient.
Sounds traumatizing!
The "lord" sent the hurricane
Hell of a description
I am struck by the amount of people who smile and are just happy to be alive. Warms the soul.
The resilience of the human spirit is nothing less than astounding.
Watching in Dec. 2023. Tysm for posting this. God bless
😢😢😢😢😢😢
I was 19 years old when Andrew hit Miami. I worked the overnight shift at Xtra Superfoods 441 and County Line Road. My shift started at 10pm. I went home a few days later. We had employees and families living in the store. Sleeping upstairs. My crew clocked in that night and clocked out days later. I was on salary...no overtime for me . I love this video. So many memories....
Im still in retail management. I own my own stores and a restaurant and I live on one of the sexiest islands!!!
Spread love, mind your own business, call loved ones, be nice to people.
Peace and Love, everyone
Nobody cares
I'm a nurse can I come work for You lol
The stress must have been unbearable.
I loved xtra my grandmother lived in the tallest building in the corner imperial terraces
i was 15 when this hit. I was in kendall. I will be forever tramatized but facinated with it at the same time. words can never explaine what i witnessed. The sound was like a million screaming wolves. It was a screaming rage sound that i have never heard in any other hurricane!!! Andrew was a monster!!! A demon!!! It was not a normal hurricane!!!
Rob Ray glad you're alive and well now☺️
Rob Ray I was 7 when Andrew hit. I lived in Perrine. It as horrifying. Our walls were shaking and swaying in our house. The wind was howling through our roof and walls. It felt like a demonic presence had taken over. Unbelievable.
kendall...that's nice I WAS IN HOMESTEAD FL
Rob Ray I was 9 and it fascinated the shit out of me when it came to hurricanes for the rest of my life.
Jon Smith Same here. Once you go through such a force of nature, it sort of becomes a part of you. I remember during Wilma I sat in my car while it was blowing through.
I lost everything in Andrew and remember it well. I have PTSD from it. I was in the worst part...Between Cutler Ridge and Homestead. No human or animal should ever go through this. The video does not do it justice. God Bless
So, unless you were there and experienced it yourself, nobody can truly understand what it was like? Between Culter Ridge and Homestead? Yes, both of those places were hit very hard by Hurricane Andrew.
Why did you stay
Because I had no where to go at that time.
I lived in Homestead when this hit. About the scariest moment of my life. I was only 9 years old.
Hurricane Katrina
I was just born in November 30th of 92 and God bless to all who survived and passed away
I survived Hurricane Irma down here in key west back in 2017
I was there. In homestead. One if the worst experiences of my life. I still have PTSD to this day. I’ll never forget it and it’s been 30 years.
I'm sorry you had to go through that!
My sister surveyed Homestead as a claims adjuster and she was hysterical when she saw the devastation. How anyone made it through without PTSD should be examined. I’m so sorry you experienced that beast; I hope you have found some peace.
WTVJ did an amazing job reporting and warning everyone of Hurricane Andrew. I'm sure they had to win an award for this reporting and especially Brian Norcross. He did an outstanding job reporting. Norcross became the voice of this Hurricane and I know Florida residents felt safe and secure just listening to him while the Hurricane was moving across Florida. He should be very proud of himself.
With Brian Norcross, he's on with The Weather Channel now.
THANK YOU for sharing this! My family and I lived on the corner of Krome Ave and 288th St when Andrew came through. We had lived there in our home, like MOST families in Homestead, for YEARS and like MOST, had no f***ing clue as to what we would go through by staying in our home during the storm. It's easy for someone outside-looking-in to say that those who chose to ride out the storm were ignorant, stupid, dumb-as-f***... well, until you walk a mile in our's or someone else's shoes, PLEASE keep your comments to yourself. And, for the ones who are quick to say "should have had homeowner's insurance", GUESS WHAT?! We had homeowner's insurance through Ocean Front Casualty... but because of the enormous amount of claims, they decided it would be alot easier to go bankrupt (which unfortunately was legal), so that they could line their pockets! Unfortunately, this left us and hundreds of other people with a condemned home, no job, AND ON TOP OF ALL OF THIS, we didn't qualify for a FEMA loan because, even though our insurance company went bankrupt... WE WERE STILL COVERED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
Appreciate life... Everything can change in a second. I'm so grateful for the life I have today, but I sure do miss "my home."
Labreeska Phillips I live off W Mowry drive 17th Ave. Andrew tore the house apart now Irma is coming and it's going to happen again. Still live in the same house because we rebuilt it.
MASON CROSS Wow, you don’t get it. I also lived off of Krome Ave in the Redlands and it wasn’t like today where u have the technical advances as well as even social media and everything else to warn you of how bad it could be. Not only that, we didn’t get full warning until the morning of, but even then we never got evacuation orders. It’s not like we could check a cell phone for updates lol. My dad was a pilot and was allowed to fly to New York that afternoon but not allowed to fly back to help up since it was hitting that night. Hell, they didn’t even upgrade Andrew to a category 5 until AFTER the storm. They didn’t realize about the tornados in the hurricane until after the when studied. Our house was only a year and a half old and it was 100% destroyed, yet the way it was presented beforehand it was made to seem the biggest issue was not having the first day of school the next day. lol I know for a fact you did not live in homestead back in ‘92 bc u would have understood the lack of warning and the underestimation of destruction. Nowadays, just like u did, u can look on UA-cam and see previous hurricanes or u can google the destruction. We didn’t have any of that back then. I will just assume you are very young and can’t even imagine life without internet. What hurricane before Andrew were we supposed to refer to according to u? (Without looking online lol). Thanks to Andrew u get to see the possible destruction. It’s all good. I wish u the best and hope u never have any terrible thing happen to u where someone tells u “I told u so”. Would be such a shame. Stay safe this hurricane season. :)
And you survived not only the storm, but life after the storm, even with the insurance and FEMA problems!
I'm sorry for everything
Bryan Norcross is an exceptionally talented meteorologist, couldn’t think of a better person to cover this. If people don’t listen, that’s on them
My mom went to florida for her 16th birthday and was unfortunate to be stuck in this hurricane but fortunate to be alive and im so glad she made it if not i wouldn't be here typing this god bless you all it sure was a blessing for her to be alive
I’m so sorry here that
Why did she go when there was a hurricane coming? That doesn't make sense. She intentionally put herself in a hurricane
@@lolasmom5816 Things were diff back then… pre-Andrew we didn’t have the experience , knowledge we have now. This was before internet, UA-cam videos, and todays technology. Most valuable asset was Brian Norcross live throughout Andrew broadcasting while Hunkering Down in the studio. Andrew became the Hurricane that we compare others to each year.
Bryan Norcross and WTVJ saved the lives of hundreds to thousands of south Floridians with their amazing coverage of Andrew.
I love the pre storm interviews about people not thinking it was not going to be bad. I wish they interviewed the same people after the storm. See what they had to say.
A lot of people on Miami Beach went to stay with friends and family in Kendall and Homestead and as it turns out, they would’ve been better off staying where they were.
Coming in here a little late but, I’ll say that’s the dangerous reality of living here in Florida. You have 1) People who have been through a more minor hurricane and don’t think whatever incoming hurricane will be bad due to that prior experience. 2) You have people in denial (either religious or because they genuinely don’t understand how powerful it can get - these are also the Hurricane partiers). 3) You have people like me who have decided to go down with the “ship”, now if there was a Cat 5 incoming.. I would evacuate. Cat 1/2 is generally not that bad to evacuate unless you’re in a flood zone.
@@TitaniumTurbine4) you have surfers who want to surf the perfect waves the day after the hurricane, that’s why I stay
@@ChickenJoe-tq6xdthis is the most perfect comment and it’s only because of your username
@@TitaniumTurbineI’m generally the same way but Cat 4 is my line. At that point I'm boarding up and leaving.
I was born in 1996.
For my entire life up till 2005, I never heard or remember hearing any other hurricane mentioned other than Andrew up until Katrina happened.
Charlie Yeah, and the hurricanes have only gotten more intense since. Maria was just catastrophic, Harvey tied with Katrina in terms of financial costs, then you have Irma devastating South FL Micheal devastating Northwestern Florida and now at this very moment when I'm writing this an expected cat4 hurricane approaching eastern Florida appearing to be catastrophic as well- her name: Dorian.
@@CocoTaveras8975 Dorian is cat 5 now. Stay safe
It was unprecedented, Andrew was. I was a baby in 92. Both Katrina and Andrew were like bombs being dropped is basically all I can describe the damage as.
Kyle Sterling Yes your right they were both very dangerous.
So was Dorian, which was much stronger than both Katrina and Andrew- Dorian was historic in fact as one of the most powerful storms in the history of Atlantic basin to the Bahamas several days ago! Will take generations for them to recover unfortunately.
Coco Taveras Dorian in terms of wind speed is stronger then Katrina yes. But in terms of intensity, aka pressure, size and storm surge Katrina was stronger. But then you add in the fact that Dorian still had higher winds, a similar surge, and that it basically stalled out right over the Bahamas. That’s something that not even typhoon Haiyan couldn’t match to.
I was living in downtown Miami during this storm. UNREAL. As detailed as this is, It doesn't event come close to telling the story of what this was like. Nothing was recognizable. The yellow lines of the street were gone, trees twisted like corkscrews, large trees the fell and took the entire road with it. The walls would swell and breath with the wind. To this day, the silence of the eye, was the worst because you knew that the other side was going to be way more violent. My advice....don't ride out a big hurricane.
I do try to warn folks.. every year..
We left town and came back a few days later. When we got off the turnpike, we quickly got disorientated and almost lost after living in the same house for nearly 20 years. That’s how unrecognizable things were and we didn’t even live in Country Walk or Homestead where the damage was at its worst. Before heading back into town, I went to Publix and stocked up on some essentials including stuff for my friend’s small baby.
....and to think you have to tell people the obvious???
Stuff like this is impossible to understand unless you live through it.
We were in Lake Okeechobee when Andrew hit & I remember Andrew was not anticipated to be as bad as it turned out to be...it was wicked here, an hour or so north of Miami & Homestead, that storm came in like a buzzsaw, OMG 😲 We STILL have an environmental disaster from it due to the Serpentarium down there getting blowed away & the SNAKES escaping...the pythons, etc...some of them have migrated to our area around the Lake here & huge ones have been killed close to my house & they are in Lake canal reservoirs...all thanks to Andrew
My dog was a stray rescued from Hurricane Harvey, all these years later she is still afraid of water. She’s a pointer and blue heeler who hates to swim. She hates wind storms, rain, puddles and even baths. She gets really bad anxiety when we have bad weather, here in Washington State we had a rain and wind storm last night all night. A huge branch smashed our roof along with a million little ones. Her anxiety gets so bad she makes herself sick, she gets nauseated and won’t sleep. I try to distract her and comfort her, I feel awful she’s still so scared. Bless all of the people who have lived through and died during these Hurricanes. Everything they have lost and all of the hero’s and wonderful people who come to the rescue of everyone and animals.
Poor pup.
Have you tried one of the thunder vests?
Bless you Jessica for loving and giving her a safe forever home 🥰
Tell that thing to grow up
I remember calling my co-workers who lived on the ocean side of the intracoastal waterway and told them to come to my house. I was all prepared, my windows taped up.....yeah.....I was young and didn't really understand how strong a hurricane can be. Thankfully my area was not the targeted area, but we did lose power and many people from work did for weeks. Thank you for sharing. Praying for all preparing for Dorian.
Taping windows!!🤣🤣🤣. Love the old school... boy, I could never get that tape glue off....
The first time I watched this documentary, it gave me a sick feeling in my stomach. Didn't realize how bad it was.
You stole my name man
The 8 year old me lived through Andrew and didn't realize how bad it was. Looking back now at 31, all I can do is be grateful me and mine survived.
Same, watching it and feel sick- remember seeing it all over the news from New England (aunt was in Fort Lauderdale and wasn’t as bad affected like Homestead). 2 years prior in 1990 I went through Hurricane Bob- a Cat 2 that did it’s fair share of destruction. Lights went out, all kinds of damage (I live on the coast), boats on bridges and causeways, so I can’t imagine a 5 which Andrew/Katrina were!
The hospital I worked in on Ormond beach Florida went down right after ANDREW and with Uhaul volunteers 😢and he Red Cross would NOT LET US IN. HAVE NOT DONATED TO THEM SINCE😮😢😢
There is a flock of little green parrots that now lives a few hundres miles north of Miami near my mother's house, where they went after escaping from the zoo during Andrew.
parrot jungle. not metro zoo.
I've seen them in my yard up by Delray.
Quaker Parrots....they were in Broward as well by the thousands. Dont see them much anymore though. Not sure why....
Hmmm I have a Quaker and was thinking I saw/heard Quaker’s but they have black faces and green bodies and sound like a Quaker parrot. I live in boynton beach now but am from broward and have seen small flocks of parrots about twice
The zoo didn’t have an aviary back then
So many people including myself in my young selfish ignorance have sold all of our old VHS tapes. I regret that now. Thank you for having the willingness to save things like this that help preserve history.
One of my favourite historical accounts on UA-cam.
In memory of a refugee from Andrew, who moved to my town. Taught me much. This truly helped me understand what they went through.
Andrew you as the first hurricane I ever went through. I am now on my 6th hurricane as IAN has just done it’s damaged to my home. Each time I have made better and better improvements to my home. I figured after 1-2 more I’ll have a hurricane proof home.
Excellent documentation of Hurricane Andrew and the aftermath.
Immediately notice how well spoken most of the people being interviewed were. Same can't be said anymore, depressing how far we've fallen.
My mom was two years younger than I am now when she went through this in South Miami Homestead and she always told me about how she survived this while I was growing up and how she had to grab my three year old brother at the time from trying to run outside during the eye of Andrew because she knew as soon as it grew deadly silent that the worst was yet to come. Pebbles hitting like gunfire on the metal screen door and I believe she said a huge tree took out part of the roof. I was born two years later and being a 90’s baby it is a tribute in my eyes to witness this and gain understanding of these horrific experiences, and I’m always looking for these priceless documentaries and grateful for them. Endlessly fascinating and humbling…
Katrina was worse
@@marissaford6010 Katrina was weaker than Andrew, Katrina's reputation was flooding, and a lot of that was due to poor levee maintenance in the New Orleans area, that and New Orleans, like Houston, is built inside of a bowl, below sea level. Andrew's winds were far more destructive than Katrina, which was a Cat 3 when it made landfall, Andrew was a 5, and no one ever found out how truly strong the winds got as the storm destroyed equipment at the Hurricane Center which could've made an accurate measurement of wind speed. Had the Army Corp of Engineers taken care of the levee issue (and word is, that has still yet to be done), the flooding may not have been nearly as bad. Mississippi is the state that felt the true full wrath of Katrina's winds, and they were far lesser than Andrew's.
I live a little over 100 miles west of New Orleans, and I was working the day it hit, not 1 drop of rain, not one gust of wind, despite being on the west side of the storm, cirrus clouds throughout the sky. Rita would kick our butts here not that long after Katrina, taking care of business her sister did not in my half of the state. 15 years later, Laura would devastate the same area Rita did, but spare New Orleans, and the eastern half of Louisiana.
Andrew was a demonic hurricane with wind gust up to 210 mph it was a storm with nuclear bo,bs in the middle of it@@Bloodreign1
I survived Andrew as well. Our house was on 152nd Street/89th court, off of Coral Reef Drive. All the homes were destroyed, apartment buildings were razed by tornados. I remember driving back down from Fort Lauderdale the next day, and trying to take the route through the Grove, and that was impassable, because there were boats and yachts IN THE STREET, and the banyan trees were toppled over, and I had to backtrack out and take US1 South. And from Downtown driving south, the farther you got, the less that was left standing. Later we drove to Homestead, Cutler Ridge Mall was in ruins, and looters were taking whatever they could get their hands on. When we got to Homestead, it was a cathartic disaster. Like downtown Homestead had been blown off the map, and all that was left were match sticks in piles all over the place. My parents were in Connecticut, and I surveyed the destroyed house, then drove back north to call them and tell them not to come home, because they did not have a home to come back to. I gave them a list of things to get (food/a generator/CASH/etc. ) and ship on the plane down a few days later, once I secured what was left of our house. ( 1 room ) The rest of the house was water logged and flooded and the roof was in tatters. When they arrived back in Miami, I was at the house waiting for them, and my father got out of the car and fell to his knees and sobbed. We had a 50 foot silver oak tree outside my bedroom window that was pulled up out of the ground and dropped on the house next door, destroying it in one drop. Our patio screening was mangled and dropped unceremoniously into the pool. There was an apartment building behind our house that backed onto US 1, and when the tornado came through it razed the building to the ground, there was nothing left but bricks and cement blocks piled everywhere. My friend Cory's mom lived in that building and she was devastated too. In time my parents got a FEMA trailer to live in while the house was rebuilt. Metro Zoo was destroyed and animals were walking the streets. We slept in cars at the top of the streets with loaded guns to protect from looters, because that was a HUGE problem for a long time. It was living hell for a very long time.
I was in homestead when this happend and im glad you survived what scared me to death were the winds it sounded like 1000 freight trains in your ears for hours and hours i was in my bathroom and you could here the wind in the toilet like a loud suction then the roof went flying off our tv landed next to us so we took rope and tied down a king size mattress to the toilet i really thought this is it were gonna die any second we made it the mattress was so heavy from the rain it took all we had to get it off of us then we walked outside i didnt know what i was looking at my truck was across the street stuck in the side of a shed and my new camaro was destroyed their were 7 people dead in destroyed houses in our neighborhood every single tree was down well you lived through it to so tou know the rest!!
@@jasonlinton9902 You Survived !!! Well Done. I had to secure our house because of looters in my area, before the military came in, days later. But I drove down to Cutler Ridge Mall and it was a mess. When I finally got down to Homestead, I thought that a bomb had fallen. My aunt and uncle had an apartment building near the crossroads where the shops used to be right across from the sports field. It was blown apart. The home we lived in (in) Homestead when we came to Florida was destroyed nd the elementary school I attended in that neighborhood was wiped off the map. When I moved to Canada in 2002, (Funny story) I was in university in the early 2000's. I was in a Disaster Class with a well known disaster Earthquake and disaster studies. One day she put up Andrew on the overhead, telling the class that "Oh, it wasn't really a big storm and nobody died so there's nothing to talk about." I stood up in the lecture hall in front of everyone and walked to the podium below us. And I looked at her and said, "Me thinks you need to recant what you just said, because I was there. People died, Many people died. And yes it was the worst storm to hit South Florida in decades. I took over the lecture from her slides and lecture notes and taught that class for her. She was not happy at all I upstaged her.
I don’t live in the states so know very little off these weather monsters, however given the number off hurricanes that have been reported on here in Britain most notably Katrina, Irma and Micheal but as bad as these Hurricanes have been Andrew seems to be the one Hurricane most off you Americans remember. And after seeing this I now know why.
God bless everyone affected by these Hurricanes.
Stay safe America all the way from Scotland 🏴
Andrew and also Katrina, Wilma, Rita, Ike, Charlie, Irma, Hugo, Dorian, and a handful more. I actually had to evacuate from Irma and go up to Atlanta to stay with my parents for a week and it ended up not even being that bad damage wise. Thank you so much for your kind words.
Nice words from across the pond. Thank you!
I endured hurricane michael.
@@phsycosloan Michael was scary bad.
I was in Katrina. I was in the town of Bay St. Louise. Never will forget that destruction. I have pics where greyhound buses were thrown through a Kmart type Department store but if I remember correctly it was located closer to Gulfport but may had been in the Bay. The most memorable things to me were the vast number of damaged homes, I remember seeing so many houses with numbers and symbols on them from where the govt tagged them. I think it showed death or survivors. I also remember the mass amount of FEMA trailers and those tents we had to get supplies from for months and months. I remember a beautiful white chapel on the beach that had just a wall left standing but was amazed even that made it. The smell of dead fish that never seemed to leave plus so so much more...
I had a Twilight Zone experience after Andrew. It was so hot at night, that I decided to sleep on our front porch. We had a three foot high concrete wall that blocked the view from the road. I was woken up by sounds I didn't recognize. I was afraid it might be looters, so I peeked over the wall. It was a squadron of armed National Guards walking down our street. It was so bizarre.
Dolphinsmaniac1 do you kno why ????
I lived in a small subdivision close to metrozoo and turnpike.it had been destroyed but I was still in what was left of my house because there were thousands of abandoned,lost,etc animals all over the streets and I had rescued about 40cats and dogs withing about a week.literally people took of and left their pets to fend for themselves.I was the only person still living in my subdivision,there was none there,most houses includong mine,had been condemned unsafe. One evening o heard something in my front yard,it was a couple of national guard.they asked me if I was OK;I said yes I'm fine. I really must have been in shock then and remained that way for at least a couple of years;I thought to myself "I wonder why they're asking me if I'm ok?...that's strange that they stopped by to ask me.like, why wouldn't I be OK?".
There was zero ele tricity,no lights,the area was deserted,my house didn't have windows,doors,missing a wall and also no roof,and also wasn't a great neighborhood to begin with;but I never considered that I was in danger;of crime,etc.
Its only in rece t years,that I realize the extent of trauma that experience had on my life.
*_God Bless you. I was ONE YEAR OLD. Had I have been older, I'd be livin' in the same misery you have went through. You pulled through this...nightmare._*
I was one of those National Guardsmen, and it was pretty freaky for us too. We convoyed down from Central Florida and came in right after the storm. We thought we’d be there for a week, but ended up staying for 51 days. Hard times for all. Too deep and too many unbelievable events to even tell. Most of us were working exclusively at night. Pitch black, no road signs, lots of problems, loaded weapons, and no playbook for the situation. 51 nights making life altering decisions. Good people and some very bad people, depending on where you were. Looting was only a problem for a few days. After that it was drugs and what they do to people. Crack was at its peak. Anyone reading this, please be aware that National Guardsmen are fully trained soldiers, but also citizens, with jobs, businesses and families. When they show up, remember that they left all of that to do their duty. Thanks.
Hope u stay safe during this years hurricane season~
A disaster like this truly brings out the very worst of some people...and in some, the very best.
I was born in 1988 and I believe Andrew is one of my earliest memories. I remember being both excited and a bit scared as my family huddled in the living room away from windows and we would hear the bang bang of avocados and mangos hitting our doors and shuttered windows. I remember feeling the draft as one of our windows broke even with the shutters still mostly intact. All of the doors closed, trying to keep structural integrity. The smell of the kerosene lanters and the smell of the ocean coming in. I was in Carol City.
Thank you for posting this and saving it. It was good to see David Bloom’s reporting in it, and the hosting of Bryan Norcross throughout. The outro was spot on.
This is an important historical record.
27 years ago. Crazy how time flies.
Didn’t they say this happened in 2007?
@@Vampxiii_ Hurricane Andrew was in August 1992
I too also survived this Hurricane. We were evacuated and went to stay at a friend's house in Coral Springs. Did not know that he would go there! I fell asleep listening to the sound of the deadly howling winds, until the room I was staying in got hit by debris and broke the window above me. Luckily they taped it and had a blind to guard me from the following flying glass. Still sits on my mind even today 20 years later!
I live in Coral Springs!
We were in Coconut Creek, so blessed, minimal branches down and 3 days no power- no phones . Knew so many folks involved w/ bringing help south to the hard-hit Homestead … trucks of water, food, baby supplies. For many of us Andrew became The One we use to measure other storms by…. Then Katrina… Michael… Ian 😢
I've lived in Fort Lauderdale for a long time, and if there is one thing I have learned from hurricanes like this, it is the incredible unity and strength that the people of Broward and Miami Dade have after the storms are gone. We have experienced some seriously traumatic things and we always rebuild.
So sad. I feel terrible for those without insurances including renter's insurance so many forget. It is always worth paying the premiums. What ever happened with all those people? I don't understand (yes, it is alot more affordable) why people including snowbirds, buy mobile homes in areas known to have storms. Scary and sad all way around.
Hurricane Andrew
I was a teen during Andrew. Born and raised in Broward. It is a standout for me because it was the first major storm I was old enough to truly experience. Damage personally was minimal for us because we lived in Hollywood in my childhood home. We had roof damage and downed trees, electric out for weeks etc. I remember feeling so badly for Dade and being thankful it didn't hit Broward dead on at the same time. Human nature I guess. Years later after I was married and pregnant with my second child living in Pembroke Pines is when the most devastating hurricane hit for me. Though it was nothing compared to Andrew in size and intensity, it destroyed my home and neighborhood. Her name was Wilma. Then I moved to Central Florida and was hit by Irma with quite a bit of damage. Then I moved to North Carolina and got hit by Florence. Of course there were many other storms between. We had a little damage from Katrina too. Worst part with Katrina was the electricity being out for what seemed like forever.
Jeez buddy, I'm sorry for all that loss. I live in Southern Ontario, and Sandy was the only thing that came close in my life, and that was a fraction of the strength compared to the storms you mentioned. Folks in the south are among the toughest and most resilient I've encountered.
That Irma was something. It was chasing us around the state. First, the forecast had Irma curving north before striking Florida. Then, it was going to hit the east coast so we went closer to Orlando. Then, the forecast track changed and we went to Tampa. Eventually, the storm came very close to Tampa. We were lucky that we had zero damage and only faced 80-85 mph winds in Tampa but being chased around the state by a hurricane isn't fun.
This is a night I will never forget. We were in Homestead and 😢😢😢😢 just knowing that people passed away . I’m thankful that God spared our lives . In Irma my heart stopped beating . I can’t deal with storms anymore. I moved to Central Florida but I don’t know 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
I was 7 when Andrew hit. It was like our house was demonically possessed -the winds howling like wolves through our AC vents, the walls swaying back and forth, shutters flying off the windows in our kitchen and tearing the roof off our kitchen and living room. My parents, brother, and I ended up in the master closet holding their mattress over our heads and saying our prayers. In the morning, we came out to utter devastation.
This is a classic hurricane film !
roach9703 And an important one as others are saying as well.
August 16, 1992. My family and I drove to Ft. Lauderdale to take shelter in a friend's trailer park trailer. It was specifically designed to withstand hurricanes.
I don't remember much since I was young at the time, but we were without power, only having to get by using lanterns and listening to the battery operated radio as we waited out the storm for days.
It was terrifying hearing the winds of Andrew on the other side of the steel wall. That sound of death and destruction.
After it was over, we headed back to our house in the Miami area. The ceiling had caved in, all the windows were broken, the iron bars for the sliding door in the back were bent in as if a car had ran into it. Ironically, the aquarium holding goldfish in my bedroom managed to survive somehow by some miracle.
We moved away from the Sunshine State for good after that. My heart bleeds for you, Floridians, with Hurricane Irma coming.
I am happy you and your family were not harmed. Especially the gold fish :) Although I find it very hard to understand people who can leave behind a pet, who is basically a family member. SMH
HelenaVanCity They were gold fish, not fluffy the poodle, exactly how would you evacuate with your goldfish?
@@HelenaVanCity 🤡
brought back some memories. I was there and it was terrible what happened to Homestead, Fl. So much beauty was lost.
We were supposed to be stationed at Homestead. Andrew hit a week before we were to arrive. We were sent to Montana instead. I live in FL now. Folks have gotten very comfortable & forget how serious these storms get.
Look up "New England's Killer Hurricane of 1938." Nobody believed that a big hurricane could get that far north. That one did, and nobody knew it was coming.
We don't forget..
We just don't let storms rule our lives..we clean up, we rebuild n we live..
Andrew is the first hurricane I can remember. I was 10. We lived (still do) in Louisiana and it the first hurricane I can remember sitting and watching the news coverage of.
Melissa Johnson hope you fared well during Katrina. Greetings from New Orleans
I was 10 living in New Orleans.
I was living in Tampa when this hit, but it was still pretty powerful by the time it got to us. School wasn't cancelled during the storm and most of the kids who walked to school talked about how the winds were so powerful, they weren't able to walk against the wind. It would push them back or force them to stay right where they were. What is amazing is by this time, Andrew only had tropical storm level winds. The hurricane level winds must have been frightening.
Just watched this for the 1st time. My uncle lost his home in Homestead. A real wake up call for people who insist on riding it out.
As a meteorologist, this made me want to become one at 7. Thanks so much for this. Please take these phenomena seriously. Humans can be so arrogant but we are SO fragile. Great to see how we all work together when these things happen tho. #andrew
Juice8815 we are the same age then. I liv d in Perrine. Our whole neighborhood was flattened. We spent the storm praying in the closet with the mattress over our heads. The walls were shaking and the roof was ripped off of our living room and kitchen. The next morning the closet roof came crashing down.
I’m new to your channel and this video brought back memories as I am from South Florida and lived through Andrew with a family six at the time. We evacuated, and the evacuation school was later deemed unacceptable and buses, took them to other areas and my family hunker down at the school because I had small children. It was too too much to move. We were happy to be available for people stranded in the storm knocking on the school door that would’ve been locked so we were there to open the doors and get them out of the storm and we all got in the center of the school. When we came out, it was a horrific scene but Fort Lauderdale, of course was not as damaged as Miami area. Severe devastation. Thank you so much for sharing how we should not compare devastations because Miami got a lot of publicity fort lauderdale was hit pretty hard and several areas .. now moved north to Pittsburgh, prayers for my children who were only babies during Andrew.living in central Florida. Now with Milton praying for you and yours too 🙏🏾
Thanks so much for the post. I'm a weather buff and remember watching CNN all night that night. There hadn't been a Katrina yet, but the national media never even hinted at the hellish aftermath those poor people suffered. I sure hope they're all happy and healthy now. Until next time...
I always find it funny how the weather channels are like, “Please stay indoors” then they have one of their employees standing outside talking about the storm
yeah, though they scout out where the best shot could be while also keeping them safe from the wind. Seems like they like brick archways and whatnot.
@@evo2542 Arches love staying up, that's why.
You don’t want to be exposed to the Hurricane Force winds. It’s torture!
Thanks for the upload.
I was 5 when this happened, I remember being in a tub with blankets wondering where my dad was due to him working at the time and I still remember how it sounded like a freight train hitting constantly on walls and everything outside was just coming down.
Like they said in the beginning, it sounded like death was coming.
at around 18:00 was so heartbreaking when everyone started calling in, you have nothing left but to call in and hope to hear a familiar voice in a storm that feels otherworldly
I was 13 and Survived Hurricane Andrew wedged under the dashboard of my moms 89 Toyota Camry buried in the garage of our townhouse in Country Walk. It's still something I think about almost daily and has affected the way I treat and respect Mother Nature since.
forever
I'm Canadian and hurricane Harvey & Irma brought me here. Praying for Texas and Florida with all my heart. God bless you all and protect your precious children. Please take your kids and leave now! Don't risk their precious lives thinking you could ride Irma out. Will continue to pray for you and your loved ones. Be safe.
My daughter lost her house in Andrew. I didn’t hear from her for 48 hours. I was sick with worry. Finally, she got to a phone and they needed a truck and water and we got it to her from Asheville NC.
Glad to hear after those longest 48 fearful hunt feelings, that you heard from her and got to get to her so you could be there for her for comfort and support and I know she was so happy to see you all also !! Glad it all went well for you all god bless you all to this day !!!
Omg Asheville 😳 😳 😳
Oh boy, memories....... Friends of mine lived in Broward county during Andrew and the pics they showed me marked me for life. Prayers to to all Floridians who witnessed this.
Broward was almost untouched...now Wilma in 2005, that's a different story
Kevin Clements the destruction unleashed by wilma on this county and palm beach is truly something to behold
I remember being through the eye in Delray Beach during Wilma. It was surreal. Bright, calm period and in just a minute it turns into the worst of the hurricane.
Thanks for uploading, people are beginning to forget about Andrew!
Like people are forgetting about the Florida Labor Day hurricane and the Hurricane of 1938!
That was 1935. It struck Islamorada. It was a small storm. Worse than Andrew intensity. Survivors described it was terrible. Ernest Hemingway wrote a book about the storm. Many labour workers (depression era) lost their lives. The train arrived too late and it was knocked down by the wind and the water from the ocean flooded the train cars and people drowned. The government did not do much in response. Many workers who drowned were minorities. Hundreds lost their lives. If a storm of that intensity happened in a highly populated are in Florida with people not taking it seriously, it would be worse than Katrina.
Seeing this 29 yrs later is still jarring. Also seeing the broadcasters, and where they went from here. Sadly, a classmate who is no longest with us, David Bloom.
I was 6 visiting my grandparents in Miami when this hit. I’ll never forget the sound that it made. We came back to Chicago and nine months later my brother was born. His name was almost Andrew because of it. This footage is insane
I was in South Florida about two or three days after Andrew came through, and I have a memory of seeing a large truck on the roof of a single-story building. It was somewhere in the Kendall or Cutler Ridge area, right off of a major highway. Looking back now, I can't believe that a Hurricane can actually pick up a heavy vehicle and blow it onto the roof of a building, but that's what I remember seeing.
It was so long ago now, I wonder if I imagined it.
I lived in the Perrine/Cutler Ridge area. If you took SW 117th street north towards SW 152nd Ave, you would pass the Coca Cola warehouse, and the Holsum bread kitchen. The storm grabbed those big box trucks from both businesses and tossed them across the roadway over to the Coast Guard base. These were big trucks, just strewn about.
I lived on 115th and 174th. Couple of block away...
That was the most terrifying night of my life! I lived off of Coral Reef Drive and SW 112th Ave. Southside! I was celebrating my birthday which is actually Aug 24th the night before. Being an essential employee for Dade County I had to report for duty that Monday to assist where needed! During the storm I heard and saw things during the night that I still have fear. The screams in the wind, objects levitating in mid air! The pressure of exploding windows in my house! I will never forget that night! And of course I can't! Last name Andrews and birthday Aug 24th.
Hugs from Oklahoma n thank U for being there for your community/state.
We lived on SW 174th street and 115th ave. The worst part was it was pitch black. You couldn't see anything, only hear the destruction. As a 9 yo that was the most traumatizing part. Then when it was all over, to come out to that devastation, and realize it was all just beginning...
Thank you for sharing your story and for being there for the community. I was 3yrs old at the time and my sister was 20days old, my parents weathered the storm with us in homestead near NE 11st/308 sw st. The house we were staying at was completely destroyed.
I was turning 18 also in August 24 1992,I live in Kissimmee we only had maybe like 20 30 miles winds
Although I was 3 and wasn't in Florida yet I can relate because 12 years later Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda got slammed with Charley and my neighborhood looked the same like a bomb went off! I was 15 when I went through Charley and I have never been more scared in my life! Literally fainted later that evening because I was so stressed and traumatized by what my fam and I went through. We watched our sliders bow in and out and watched our pool cage get ripped apart and a piece of it kept slamming into our sliders and I was waiting for the glass to give out and break! My cat who was around 5 months at that time didn't seem to be affected by the hurricane at all. Now my dog and bird were another story. I had a cockatiel that was always talking that the moment that storm hit us with silent the whole time and our dog did nothing but whimper and Yelp on and off! So I feel you when it comes to Andrew granted I didn't Experience Andrew but 12 years later I did experience Charlie and he basically leveled Punta Gorda in a lot of Port Charlotte.. although I will say Charlie did not really carry much surge not like Andrew luckily I lived behind a river so if he had been carrying surge I probably wouldn't be here today
Of the many things not covered in this documentary, no comment was made about the people who took their own lives after the hurricane, purely due to not getting the help they needed from the government.
So many years have passed, I was 7 years old when this happened, I remember our school asking us to donate any toys or clothes we could spare, and we were sent home with letters to our parents asking for clothing, first aid supplies, food, blankets, and anything else we could spare. Such a heart wrenching thing to happen
forever
Everyone looks so young. RIP Rob Pierce, David Bloom, and Michele Gillen. I was her intern a year after Andrew.
I survived this with my parents in Cutler Ridge. Watching this brought up memories I thought I had long forgotten. Wow.
I was there, about three miles inland from N.Miami Beach. It sounded like two trains racing by my windows at 150 mph. I wouldn't want to do it again!
I've never seen Brian Norcross before watching this but I really like his input in this documentary. Thanks Robert for uploading.
You're welcome
Brian Norcross was and is the bomb!!! His voice on my a.m. radio got me through much of Andrew.... until it all went to hell. People need to remember this was 28 years ago.
MVP Brian Norcross
After-effects of natural disasters aren't always understood. Hurricane Andrew brought "Blue Mold" up from the Caribbean into the U.S. so early in the Tobacco growing season that crops were devastated with blue mold holes in the leaves. Tobacco leaves with holes in them will not make good cigars!!@@TravelingRobert
Wow!! On a sad 😢 side note: the reporter @12:53 David Bloom in the yellow raincoat that interviewed the little cutie & her parents about “Camping in the closet”.. he was an NBC Today Show weekend anchor w/ Soledad O’Brien! (After 9/11 & we went to war,) On April 6, 2003, he was traveling with the U.S. Third Infantry Division in Iraq covering the War in a cramped vehicle, reporting live, round-the-clock. He had been on assignment in Iraq for several weeks when a blood clot in his leg (DVT) traveled to an artery in his lungs, causing a fatal pulmonary embolism. The clot in his leg was likely brought on by spending long days and nights cramped inside armored vehicles. He was only 39, married w/ 3 little girls. It was so sad. Everybody liked him a lot. I preferred him to sleazy Matt Lauer, any day. Crazy to think that he goes to Iraq to cover a war & instead of being killed by an IED or enemy fire, he gets a DVT & dies. So sad.
I remember this. David Bloom was such a loss, indeed.
this had me crying tears of sadness and then tears of joy watching people come together and connect
“I don’t think this hurricane is going to be bad as it projected to be”
was that dude wrong lol
I was thinking about him the entire time they showed the damage...I was wondering if he was able to admit he was wrong after that...All I could think of in my head was "do you think they overhyped it now, Morris?" (gave him a classic old man name lol). I am sure he is long gone by now, so we will likely never know what he thought after.
Look up "New England's Killer Hurricane of 1938." ONE GUY accurately predicted that it would slam directly into New England. The older, "wiser" men said, "Shut up. You're just a kid. We have years of experience, and we KNOW that no serious hurricane could EVER get that far north!" Well, it did, and nobody knew it was coming.
Yeah it was worse!!
Super famous last words
I’m in the UK and luckily, due to where we’re located, we tend not to fear of storms. That I’m very thankful for, especially watching the reporter at 14:15, how devoted to your job must you be to have that fear in your voice, bless you Bruce
We were in Westchester, and didn’t get power for three weeks. It was so hot! We slept on the roof just to get a breeze!
I was there I remember. I’m now 61 years old and still makes me cry
The woman talking about her kids and her taking refuge under the stairs is barely keeping it together but she’s doing it for her kids. I moved to Miami a year after Andrew and the trauma people expressed was palpable. When people found out I didn’t live through it they would commonly look me in the eye and say something along the lines of “You don’t understand. You can’t.” And then describe their experience and absolute terror and I could tell they were right. You really can’t get it-get it unless you lived it.
Thanks for posting this. 💔❤️
37:48 Tania Smallwood. For some reason I had a "I wonder they are now" moment and looked up the name. Sadly she passed away about two years ago. I enjoyed reading her Tribute page.
I did the same. She was only 49. So sad 😢
I visited the year after with my family from England, doing the Disney thing. Our second week was in Miami and I had a day out visiting the Everglades, birdwatching. I drove through Homestead and the surrounding area. It's something I'll NEVER forget. It was like a Sci-fi movie with everything flattened and this was a YEAR later! We are always talking about the weather over here but we don't get anything that comes close to this. Andrew was arguably THE Hurricane in terms of wind.
This one hit on my birthday so every time I have to give my date of birth, especially anywhere near Homestead, they automatically remember Andrew. My home was near Homestead but it survived. I sat on my front porch when the eye passed overhead. I will never forget it.
Robert love your channel, i was in 14 years back then lived in Homestead, this was the worst day of my life. thanks for showing
I remember it felt like the whole world was shaking .The wind sounded like it was a monster , my uncle put up these hurricane proof shutters in the end Andrew ripped those in two literally ,we lived in an apt complex that looked like a war zone in the aftermath. We were in kendall areas further down south got it worse
lexpocalik lol Andrew ripped our shutters off too lol omg Andrew was a fierce SOB
It still amazes me that I survived this Hurricane at the age of 13 years old. I lived in Leisure City, FL at that time. I was in the eye of the hurricane & I thought my family & I were going to die. I never prayed so hard in my life. The noise of the hurricane was so loud it sounded like an atomic bomb. We were out of power for weeks & couldn’t even take a shower. The food trucks came into our neighborhood & delivered a garbage bag full of groceries every day. They even gave us a small barbecue grill. We had barbecue chicken every day lol. They also set up a Burger King & McDonalds stand & every day around lunch time they gave out free food. Other than the food, I was miserable for weeks. And unfortunately I experienced 2 more hurricanes after this.....Mathew & Irma but it wasn’t as devastating(in the area I lived in) as Andrew. Sometimes It’s sucks living in FL.
FGM TCPIP echo
It's sad to be going through and dealing with something so hard and difficult and the only thing that brings you comfort is knowing that someone else is going through the same thing
I remember it well. In central Fla. ...it wasn't a huge issue. I was canoeing with friends, just another rainy day. No one knew how bad it would be. Thank you for sharing.
Every single person they interview is an absolute gem. The cool, calm, and collected lady and the dude with the matches are amazing.
I am watching this on the 25th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew. When Andrew hit, I was living in Marathon, the Florida Keys. I decided not to evacuate, and did not want to be caught on US 1 for hours trying to get out of there. In hindsight, it was a good decision. We got neither rain nor wind from Andrew, although our power was out for a week. I can look back and laugh at one instance. While watching Bryan Norcross days before Andrew made landfall, I got so sick to my stomach that I "puked my guts out". It certainly was not funny at the time.
Yeah I understand getting stuck on us 1 would have been horrible .... I hate getting stuck on there now let alone when something like that is going on.... Smart choice
Hurricane Andrew
I was born after Andrew, but hearing the stories my parents would tell me still shock me to this day. I’m grateful to not have gone through what so many did back in ‘92, and I thank them for laying the groundwork in showing how to rebuild during such a horrible disaster.
I was there... I will never forget what I saw... I lived in Homestdead but stayed with a relitive in Cutler Ridge... We didn't get power back for 6 weeks... We all lived like cave people... Only when the 82ndd showed up did things improve... I will never forget Andrew...
@@Wastelander01 Ian is hitting us as a category 4 storm now. Ft. Myers is literally underwater
@@SuperSmackdown2010 prayers for you 🙏
Well Katrina was worse
I was in Leisure City, near Homestead, when this hit. I will tell you this. Going through a hurricane like this, is one of the scariest things you could ever experience. It was a constant rampant sound of hell on earth. I will never forget this event until my dying days. Waking up and looking out seemed like you were in ground zero of an atomic bomb blast. When you looked north, south, east, and west and there was nothing in the skyline, it was terrifying. Also, we were very lucky that the nuclear power plant, Turkey Point, did not go into meltdown. Or whatever could have happened to it. Very, very, lucky. A storm like this, is fascinating and scary as all hell!
Billo1281 I was living in homestead at the time and I feel the same exact way. It’s hard to describe the experience to people, but even just looking at this footage makes my eyes all up with tears.
Billo1281 I was in Leisure City too. I was 13 years old at that time. And what you described is exactly what happened. In my neighborhood there was only 5 houses left standing including ours. I lived near the base. I forgot the name of that military base. Anyway I live in north FL now. Every year I get scared all over again every time a hurricane hits FL. I’ve also been in Matthew & Irma, but Andrew was the worst.
I'm a big fan Robert!! Thank you so much for caring so much about our sometimes frightening, but always fascinating, history!!!!!
That happened to us. We knew our neighbors but when we lost power for a week in Massachusetts, we all hung outside together and talked with each other. It's one of my best memories.
I was about 9yrs old living in Lil Haiti when Andrew hit. I remember feeling the building shake at times! The next day was a disaster! No power for days!! The National guard came into the neighborhood handing out food, water, and supplies. We went around climbing fallen trees, snatching up mangos and avocadoes. lol the memories!
These storms bring out the best in PEOPLE. Not the government, not the president, but the community. People caring about people.
Razzlewolfflight You are so right.
Razzlewolfflight yes what you say is true after Katrina's destruction the government didn't rebuild Which left most people homeless
Mr. Squid IF the levee didnt break.... NO FLOODING , NO, PROBLEMS... NO PRESS .NOT A , " 200 MPH. WIND EVENT " .
the government was too busy flying over with helicopters after Katrina
Governments have always been useless. You government workers are just fucking retarded. Pieces of shit only care about themselves
This aqua marine lightning flashes that he referred to are power flashes on telephone poles
This is by far the best Andrew doc on YT
Very well put together video ... thank you for taking the time to put this online.
I remember Andrew and I was only 4 years old. I lived in Hollywood, FL.