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Homestead is a tranquil town that is now experiencing a growth spurt. The population has doubled in the 15 years since Andrew. But immediately after Andrew flattened much of Homestead, thousands fled the city of 26,000.
For some of us that experienced Hurricane Andrew many things has changed and we are a bit better educated on Hurricane issues. Post your views,pictures or how you managed to get ahead after that terrible disaster in Florida history.
Please no debates or personal attacks. Just an avenue to talk about the drive of Floridians to survive and make the best out of the worst hurricane.
Great link, thanks for posting it! I'm a tad dense, what's the NASCAR connection?
I do know one good thing that came out of Andrew - the improved building code. When Opal hit the panhandle in 1995, you could tell afterwards which waterfront homes had been built to the newer coastal codes. Of course, the idiots in the legislature exempted the panhandle from the codes in 2000 and Ivan showed what happens when you DON'T build to Miami-Dade coastal code. Oh well.
Great link, thanks for posting it! I'm a tad dense, what's the NASCAR connection?
I do know one good thing that came out of Andrew - the improved building code. When Opal hit the panhandle in 1995, you could tell afterwards which waterfront homes had been built to the newer coastal codes. Of course, the idiots in the legislature exempted the panhandle from the codes in 2000 and Ivan showed what happens when you DON'T build to Miami-Dade coastal code. Oh well.
Many, if not most, of the waterfront homes you see missing were built prior to 1993 codes. My cousin is an architect and every single home they built to M/D post-Andrew codes - including some still under construction at the time Opal hit - survived with minimal damage (many were just missing roof tiles), while homes next door built to earlier codes were totally washed away. Needless to say, his business boomed afterwards.
lived through Hurricane Andrew and I wouldn't wish that experience on my worst enemy. I stayed in Hialeah with an uncle in a second floor apartment which was built in the early 70s. A very bunkered concrete type of building but had window AC units which Andrew ripped from us when the eye was crossing. The devastation afterwards was incredible whereas it went from trees blocking roads in north Dade county to complete annihalition in southern Dade. I remember driving down Sunset (SW 72 street) to my condo in Kendall and passing my street as all indentifiable markers were destroyed.
Yukon the entire state of Florida should have adopted Miami Dade's building codes and yes it is more expensive but the trade off makes sense. Homes that survive should translate into lower homeowner insurance premiums.
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