Hurricane Andrew (1992) was an Atlantic hurricane, the most destructive one ever in Florida. Named as a tropical storm on August 17, it hit the northwestern Bahamas six days later at Category 5 strength, leaving 1,700 people homeless, killing four, and disrupting the transport, communications, water, sanitation, agriculture, and fishing sectors. It struck Florida on August 24 with sustained wind speeds as high as 165 mph (270 km/h). In the city of Homestead in Miami-Dade County, it stripped many homes of all but their concrete foundations. Statewide, Andrew destroyed or damaged over 164,000 homes, killed 44 people, and left a record $25 billion in damage. A facility housing Burmese pythons was destroyed, releasing them into the Everglades, where they now number up to 300,000. The hurricane destroyed oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico before hitting Louisiana, where it downed 80% of the trees in the Atchafalaya River Basin, devastated agriculture, and caused 17 deaths. The storm spawned at least 28 tornadoes along the Gulf Coast, mostly in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. In total, Andrew caused $26.5 billion in damage and left 65 people dead.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Andrew> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 986: Byzantine–Bulgarian wars: The Bulgarians defeated Byzantine forces at the Gate of Trajan near present-day Ihtiman, with Emperor Basil II barely escaping. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Gates_of_Trajan> 1676: The Battle of Halmstad was fought at Fyllebro and was the last battle in Halland between Denmark and Sweden. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Halmstad> 1907: Pike Place Market, the most popular tourist destination in Seattle, Washington, U.S., opened for business. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pike_Place_Market> 1947: A commission led by Cyril Radcliffe established the Radcliffe Line, the border between India and Pakistan after the Partition of India. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radcliffe_Line> 1977: The Soviet icebreaker NS Arktika became the first surface ship to reach the North Pole. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arktika_(1972_icebreaker)> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: grisly: Horrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/grisly> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: I think it’s the shock of every writer’s life when their first book is published. The shock of their lives. One has somehow to adjust from being anonymous, a figure in ambush, working from concealment, to being and working in full public view. --Ted Hughes <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ted_Hughes> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe, visit: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/daily-article-l Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
