Bryan Norcross: Remembering Andrew 33 years later and a new tropical storm in Atlantic

FOX Weather is your Hurricane HQ.

(FOX Weather)

Updated astatine 9:15 a.m. ET connected Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025

When the prima came up implicit confederate Dade County, Florida, connected Aug. 24, 1992, the scenery was unrecognizable. I saw it for the archetypal clip connected tv from the unrecorded chopper precocious that day – on with everybody other who had power. That did not see South Dade, of course. The powerfulness determination was retired for 3 months.

Hurricane Andrew's hellacious onslaught connected South Dade lasted for little than 3 hours. Our modern knowing is that the highest sustained winds were 165 mph with gusts implicit 200 mph. But the numbers don't archer the story.

Andrew was strengthening arsenic it made landfall. Unlike astir hurricanes whose winds slice rapidly aft the halfway crosses the coast, Andrew continued astatine adjacent to afloat force. Over land, gusts summation due to the fact that of the friction and turbulence caused by the enactment with trees, buildings and the crushed itself. That deficiency of weakening, which produced adjacent stronger gusts, is apt what accounts for the unbelievable and unimaginable events that occurred that Monday morning.

This representation shows demolition caused by Hurricane Andrew successful South Florida successful August 1992.

(Bryan Norcross)

We don't spot thenar trees impaled by flying plywood and two-by-fours, oregon cars flipped implicit successful garages, oregon cars landing connected apical of 1 different successful adjacent the astir damaging hurricanes. Andrew was stunning successful each mode that you tin imagine.

Good things came retired of Hurricane Andrew, of course. The gathering codification successful South Florida was dramatically hardened, truthful the structures built during the unthinkable gathering roar of the past 20 years person been built to the highest hurricane standards successful the world.

Emergency absorption was reconstituted aft Andrew due to the fact that the authorities of Florida could not grip a catastrophe of that scale. Let's anticipation modern planners are alert of that reality.

Long-time Miami radical volition ne'er hide the events that took spot that aboriginal greeting 33 years ago. Modern-day residents and exigency planners survey those events well. None of america privation to acquisition thing similar that again.

Tropical Storm Fernand forms

This graphic shows accusation connected Tropical Storm Fernand.

(FOX Weather)

The disturbance that was called Invest 90L formed into Tropical Storm Fernand much oregon little connected schedule. The tempest is forecast to caput north, staying eastbound of Bermuda, good distant from the U.S., and past arc retired to sea. Bermuda mightiness consciousness immoderate fringe effects.

Approaching the Caribbean

This outer representation shows Invest 99L approaching the Caribbean Sea connected Aug. 24, 2025.

(FOX Weather)

The different strategy we've been following, Invest 99L, is heading for the Caribbean islands. There's inactive a accidental it could rotation up into astatine slightest a tropical depression, but whether it does oregon not, the strategy volition determination done the islands arsenic a gusty moisture surge. Heavy tropical downpours and gusty winds are apt implicit the adjacent mates of days.

The strategy volition determination into the Caribbean by Tuesday wherever atmospheric conditions go hostile. And that should beryllium that.

Looking ahead

The wide atmospheric signifier crossed the tropics is forecast to beryllium somewhat hostile implicit the adjacent 2 weeks oregon so. That doesn't mean thing volition develop, but if thing tries, it volition person a harder time. For now, thing caller is successful the offing.