The family later found a squid in the house and realized that it must have released its ink. 'It took me forever to figure it out,' he said. and my feet were in the water when he was walking up to the house,' Petersen said.įish poured out of the kitchen cabinets when opened, he said, and everything –- including the water - was stained purple. 'I can remember being on my dad’s shoulders. The truck his family used for their landscaping business was in the 'exact spot' where they left it, but 'completely flipped over.' The entire roof had been ripped off, and chest-deep water filled the home. 'Not a single house was left standing ,' he said. They returned to a “stump of a house,” Petersen told ABC News. Petersen and his family evacuated further north to escape the storm at a family friend’s home. Here are some incredible tales from survivors of the storm:įort Myers resident Bryan Petersen was only 4 years old when Hurricane Andrew struck, but he has a vivid memory of the flooding that destroyed his home near Lakes of the Bay in Miami. 'Each and every story will captivate you.' 'Each and every story is riveting,' said Erik Salna, associate director of the International Hurricane Research Center at Florida International University, who was working as a meteorologist for WBBH in Fort Meyers at the time.

One of the most distinct memories survivors of the storm seem to remember is the deafening sounds of the hurricane-force winds as they howled in and out of homes. More than 18,000 people belong to a Facebook group called ' I Survived Hurricane Andrew,' where members share their experiences of how they weathered the storm as well as photos of post-hurricane destruction. The storm then heads toward South Florida. A hurricane watch is in effect for the west coast of Florida, including the greater Tampa area.Īt 2 p.m., Andrew reaches peak intensity with sustained winds of 175 mph as it makes landfall on the Eluthera and Berry islands in the Bahamas. The hurricane warning is in effect from Vero Beach to the Florida Keys, while a tropical storm warning is in effect north of Vero Beach to Titusville, Florida. 23, 1992: At 8 a.m., the first hurricane warnings are issued for southeast Florida after Andrew becomes a major hurricane. The Bahamas government also issued a hurricane warning, which included the northwest islands of Andros, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama and Great Abaco. At 5 a.m., the center of the storm is located about 800 miles east of Miami.Īt 5 p.m., the National Weather Center issues hurricane warnings for portions of the Bahamas and a hurricane watch for portions of Florida.

22, 1992: Two days before making landfall, Andrew becomes the first hurricane of the 1992 season after rapidly strengthening overnight. 21, 1992: Tropical Storm Andrew strengthens.

Andrew hurricane track