5 Reasons Why Hurricane Andrew Still Matters

In the 20 years since Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida on August 24, 1992, there have been more damaging hurricanes and natural catastrophes, but no other event has had as much impact on the insurance industry. To kick off I&T’s special coverage of Hurricane Andrew’s 20th anniversary, here’s a look at the catastrophe and how it has changed the industry.

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2. Extreme Weather Conditions Are Rare – Or Are They?

Hurricane Andrew, at the time only the third category 5 hurricane to hit the U.S. on record, had the fourth-lowest pressure of any U.S. hurricane at landfall at 922 millibars/27.23 inches, according to TropicalWeather.net. Maximum sustained winds at the peak of the storm were 175 miles per hour. There were 6.9 inches of rain in southeast Florida and 11.9 inches reported in Hammond, La. The maximum storm tide heights were 16.9 feet at Biscayne Bay in Florida, 23 feet at The Current, Eleuthera (Bahamas), and eight feet in Louisiana (Lake Borgne to Vermillion Bay). In 1992 these conditions were considered once-in-a-lifetime occurrences, but subsequent hurricanes and increased frequency of other extreme weather conditions are raising questions about climate change and increased catastrophe risk.

Source: TropicalWeather.net

Katherine Burger is Editorial Director of Bank Systems & Technology and Insurance & Technology, members of UBM TechWeb's InformationWeek Financial Services. She assumed leadership of Bank Systems & Technology in 2003 and of Insurance & Technology in 1991. In addition to ... View Full Bio

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