A Review of Key Meteorological and Hydrological Aspects of Hurricane Andrew

Grymes, John; Stone, Gregory

Hurricane Andrew made its initial landfall along the Atlantic Coast of Florida on 24 August 1992; two days after crossing the Florida peninsula, the tropical cyclone made its second U.S. landfall along the southcentral Louisiana Gulf Coast. The hurricane was responsible for more than sixty deaths, and damage estimates attributed to the storm exceed $25.0 billion in Florida (RAPPAPORT, 1993) and an additional $2.4 billion in Louisiana, making the event the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Andrew developed from an easterly wave which moved off the west coast of Africa over the Atlantic on 14 August (RAPPAPORT, 1993). The system was upgraded to tropical-storm status on 17 August and attained hurricane strength on 22 August. On approaching Florida, Category 4 Andrew had maximum sustained winds estimated to be at least 65 ms⁻¹, with gusts of 75 ms⁻¹ or more (approaching Category 5 strength). Landfall in Florida occurred at 0905 UTC 24 August. The peak storm-surge reached 5.2 m to the north of the landfall zone, with storm-surges of 3 m or more extending along 15 km of the coastline. Evidence suggests that localized gusts over the Florida mainland may have reached or exceeded 90 ms⁻¹ (FUJITA, 1994). The hurricane crossed the Florida peninsula in four hours, weakened to Category 3 intensity and moved over the Gulf of Mexico. Soon after entering the Gulf, Andrew re-intensified to Category 4 strength and began a turn to the west-northwest. Although data indicate that Andrew never regained the absolute-maximum intensities observed over the Atlantic, maximum sustained winds reached speeds in excess of 60 ms⁻¹, with gusts above 70 ms⁻¹ (RAPPAPORT, 1993), and estimates suggest that peak significant deepwater wave heights may have reached 14 m or more. Andrew weakened to Category 3 strength as it paralleled the Louisiana coastline; landfall and forward movement onto the Louisiana mainland occurred at approximately 0830 UTC 26 August. Water-level data along the Louisiana coast show storm-surge elevations of 2 m or more near the landfall zone. A variety of real-time and near real-time meteorological, oceanographic and hydrological data, and satellite observations, as well as National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service statements, were available to monitor the storm. During the storm-period, these data sources provided invaluable information for use in warnings and mitigation-and-response activities; integration of these data with post-storm surveys following Andrew's passage has rendered a comprehensive overview of the dynamics of this tropical system and its impacts.

A Review of Key Meteorological and Hydrological Aspects of Hurricane Andrew

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