August 24, 1992: Destruction at Dawn

Hurricane Andrew was a compact, fast-moving storm that remains one of the strongest and costliest on record. Andrew caused about $26.5 billion in damages, making it the second costliest hurricane on record. Only Hurricane Katrina caused more damage. And only three storms — Katrina in 2005, Camille in 1969 and an unnamed Florida Keys hurricane in 1935 — were more intense.

It was 25 years ago today that this Category 5 storm slammed into South Florida.

It had been a relatively quiet hurricane season when the first signs of the storm emerged off the west coast of Africa. A tropical depression formed and moved westward, drifting midway between Bermuda and Puerto Rico. Initially, forecasters did not expect the lingering depression would amount to much. But then the system encountered favorable environmental conditions that caused rapid strengthening, transforming it into a hurricane.

Hurricane Andrew was moving through the Atlantic Ocean, over the Bahamas, and on a course for South Florida. Forecasters predicted it would make landfall in Fort Lauderdale. But on August 24, Andrew's eye hit shore near Florida City, 25 miles south of downtown Miami, at 4:52 a.m., descending with wind gusts up to 168 miles per hour. 

But Andrew brought together neighbors. And the Postal Service delivered. The sight of a Letter Carrier delivering the mail in South Dade County provided a sense of normalcy and hope to those whose lives forever had changed.

Then Miami County Line Annex Manager Enrique (Rick) Suarez (above, left) --- and today, Miami Postmaster --- assisted a displaced South Dade County resident with a Change of Address form. 

"Hurricane Andrew solidified the value of the Postal Service early in my career as a Station Manager," Suarez said. "It really showed me what the Postal Service means to communities."

Customers whose homes had been destroyed were able to pick up their mail at a designated Post Office in South Dade County.
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When I first arrived in South Miami as the new District Manager, I was really surprised and sad after seeing all the damages that Hurricane Andrew did to South Miami and Homestead. Driving down to Homestead, I saw trees without leaves and branches, it looks like a war zone. The trees were standing like toothpicks and no leaves or branches. I felt very sad for the people of South Miami and Homestead.

I was instructed by Headquarters to get the mail delivery back as soon as possible. I received much assistance from postal family all over the country in helping our fellow postal employees. The most important necessity during the recovery was to have water and electricity back again to the community.  

We were receiving water from the Tampa area on a weekly basis for our postal employees. Homestead was completely destroyed by the hurricane. Houses and street signs were demolished. However, the people of Homestead were strong and eager to have their community back again.

We have a group of managers doing strictly recovery work to bring back postal service to the community. We appreciated the help of the military personnel.

In addition to Postal Officials, Police Departments and local organizations provided assistance and cooperation. We had make-shift Post Offices during the reconstruction of buildings and houses. We had temporary mobile homes  to provide mail service to the people of Homestead.

I am very proud of our postal employees for their efforts, sacrifices and genuine support to help the community. We came together as one family and got things done without one single complaint from anyone of our postal family.

Thank You,

Leo Tudela
Former South Florida District Manager

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In August 1992, Training Technician Russell Lind was a Tour 3 Outgoing Mail Processing Clerk at the Fort Lauderdale Processing and Distribution Center.

He lived in a Fort Lauderdale condo on the beach. The National Hurricane Center had predicted that Andrew would make landfall in Broward County so he evacuated --- and stayed with friends in the Country Walk development in South Dade County. 

His friends had prepared their home with hurricane shutters and had stocked up with supplies. But no one was prepared for an unwelcomed guest named Andrew.

"Andrew sounded like a freight train. I heard two big cracks, and then the roof flew off and the water came pouring in," Lind said. "Then the windows blew out of the house."

Lind and his friends ran and sheltered under a nearby bridge while watching the Country Walk neighborhood fall apart. After the storm, he found his truck pinned under a tree. So he walked home to Fort Lauderdale. Took him five days.

"Nothing was recognizable so I kept asking people 'Where is I-95?'” he said. "I slept on the side of the road."

Ironically, his Country Walk friends came to live with him for the next nine months while they rebuilt their home.

The following year, Lind sold his beachfront home. 

“No more water for me,” he said.