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Hurricane Andrew 30 Years Ago Proved 'It Only Takes One' to Make a Bad Year | The Weather Channel
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Hurricane Safety and Preparedness

Hurricane Andrew 30 Years Ago Proved 'It Only Takes One' to Make a Bad Year

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At a Glance

  • This summer marks 30 years since Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida as a Category 5.
  • Andrew struck the U.S. in what otherwise was a quiet hurricane season.
  • A recent very active season had no hurricane landfalls in the U.S.

There's a common phrase tossed around by meteorologists at The Weather Channel during hurricane season: "It only takes one."

It's been said for years because, no matter how active or inactive a season may be or be forecasted to be, "it only takes one" storm tracking over land to cause serious issues so coastal residents should be prepared for that each and every year.

There is no better example of this than what happened 30 years ago this summer.

Just six named storms and one subtropical storm roamed the Atlantic basin in the 1992 hurricane season. In terms of just numbers, that would qualify as a "quiet" hurricane season because it's well below the 30-year average (1991-2020) of 14 named storms per season in the Atlantic.

1992 Atlantic Storm Tracks

Only, one of those storms was Category 5 Hurricane Andrew, which devastated South Florida with wind damage.

About 125,000 homes were damaged or destroyed by Andrew. At the time, Andrew was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

Andrew is just one of four hurricanes to make landfall in the U.S. at Category 5 strength. It defied the odds by also striking in one of the least active Atlantic hurricane seasons in the last 30 years.

An aerial view of Dade County, Florida published on August 24, 1992, showing damage from Hurricane Andrew, a category 5 hurricane which devastated the state in 1992, and one of the most destructive hurricanes in the history of the United States. Hurricane Andrew did extensive damage to homes in South Florida, leaving little behind in its wake. One million people were evacuated and 54 died in this hurricane. Hurricane Irma, which is headed towards South Florida, is slated to cause more damage than Andrew. (Credit: Bob Epstein, FEMA News Photo)
An aerial view of Dade County, Florida, published on August 24, 1992, showing damage from Hurricane Andrew.
(Credit: Bob Epstein, FEMA News Photo)
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It can go the other way, too. A season might have numerous hurricanes that all steer away from the U.S.

The 2010 hurricane season featured 19 named storms, including 12 hurricanes. Despite the highly active season, there were no U.S. hurricane landfalls, although Earl did brush North Carolina's Outer Banks. Tropical storms Bonnie and Hermine also affected the U.S., but only the latter system had significant impacts when it produced heavy rain in Texas.

2010 Atlantic Storm Tracks

All of this proves that you can't judge the impacts of a hurricane season based on the number of storms forecast before the season begins.

This year's hurricane season is predicted to be another active one, or more like 2010 when it comes to the number of storms that form in the Atlantic. However, it's impossible to know what impacts there might be since that depends on longer-range steering patterns.

One to two U.S. hurricane landfalls are considered average for a season, according to NOAA's Hurricane Research Division.

If you’re along the East or Gulf coasts, or even miles inland, you should have a plan to be prepared for hurricane season each year. The recent stretch of at least one U.S. hurricane landfall for seven consecutive years serves as a reminder.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

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