From the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

The most destructive U.S. hurricane of record started modestly as a tropical wave that emerged from the west coast of Africa on Aug. 14, 1992. The wave spawned a tropical depression on Aug. 16, which became Tropical Storm Andrew the next day.

Further development was slow, as the west-northwestward moving Andrew encountered an unfavorable upper-level trough. Indeed, the storm almost dissipated on Aug. 20 due to vertical wind shear.

By Aug. 21, Andrew was midway between Bermuda and Puerto Rico and turning westward into a more favorable environment. Rapid strengthening occurred, with Andrew reaching hurricane strength on the 22nd and Category 4 status on Aug. 23. After briefly weakening over the Bahamas, Andrew regained Category 4 status as it blasted its way across south Florida on Aug. 24. The hurricane continued westward into the Gulf of Mexico where it gradually turned northward. This motion brought Andrew to the central Louisiana coast on Aug. 26 as a Category 3 hurricane.

Andrew then turned northeastward, eventually merging with a frontal system over the Mid-Atlantic states on Aug. 28. Reports from private barometers helped establish that Andrew's central pressure at landfall in Homestead, Fla. was 27.23 inches, which makes it the third most intense hurricane of record to hit the United States.

Andrew's peak winds in south Florida were not directly measured due to destruction of the measuring instruments. An automated station at Fowey Rocks reported 142 mph sustained winds with gusts to 169 mph (measured 144 ft above the ground), and higher values may have occurred after the station was damaged and stopped reporting.

The National Hurricane Center had a peak gust of 164 mph (measured 130 ft above the ground), while a 177 mph gust was measured at a private home. Additionally, Berwick, La., reported 96 mph sustained winds with gusts to 120 mph.

Andrew produced a 17-foot storm surge near the landfall point in Florida, while storm tides of at least 8 feet inundated portions of the Louisiana coast. Andrew also produced a killer tornado in southeastern Louisiana.

Andrew was responsible for 23 deaths in the United States and three more in the Bahamas.

The hurricane caused $26.5 billion in damage in the U.S., of which $1 billion occurred in Louisiana and the rest in south Florida. The vast majority of the damage in Florida was due to the winds. Damage in the Bahamas was estimated at $250 million.