Flattening Florida

Hurricane Andrew (1992)
A tropical wave which came off the west coast of Africa quickly became a ferocious natural disaster that would devastate millions of lives in the southern part of the United States. The hurricane didn't show much promise to the agents at the weather service.  The hurricane only five days before making landfall on the US was forecasted at a 50% chance of hitting the nation. In addition the Weather Service told its listeners that even if it were to hit, it would be nothing more than average. This flawed information soon was discovered distorted when the storm's strength erupted into a full blown category 5 hurricane directly aimed at the Bahamas and Florida. The beast unleashed its wrath on America early in the morning on August 24th in Homestead, Florida. The hurricane contained swirling winds that were calculated to reach 165 mph and led to the deaths of 66 civilians nationwide and the destruction or damage of 125,000 homes. Many schools and thousands of business were destroyed and cost the state of Florida alone, $25-26.5 billion in damages. Hurricane Andrew was an unique storm for the reason that it had a "double eye wall". This is literally one eye about 8 miles wide inside a larger one about 25 miles wide. This natural disaster destroyed an extensive amount of Florida's natural wildlife and obliterating 70,000 acres of mangroves in the Everglades. There are still lingering effects of the storm with businesses out of commission and acres of empty land, where  houses previously held their foundation. One positive effect of the storm was the improvement of the inadequate building code. The system encouraged for owners to "hurricane proof" their houses to make it sustainable and give their houses a fighting chance against extremities such as Andrew. Hurricane Andrew might've damaged America ,but the everlasting strength of the home of the brave has once again surpassed the wrath of a natural disaster.