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This Day In Weather History

 
In 1992, Hurricane Andrew slammed onto the South Florida Coast. Packed with sustained winds that reached 175 mph, the catastrophic category 5 hurricane caused around $26.5 billion damage and killed 65 people. It is the third costliest hurricane in U.S. history, exceeded only by Katrina (in 2005) and Ike (in 2008). The National Hurricane Center, which was located in Coral Gables at the time, measured a 189 mph gust on its roof when the radar tower was blown down. The damage sustained by the facility figured greatly in the decision to move the National Hurricane Center to a bunker like structure at Florida International University in 1995.

 


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