Hurricane Andrew Remembered at Florida Storm Conference

Florida’s emergency managers are preparing for the upcoming tropical storm season by reexamining the lessons learned from Hurricane Andrew.

This August will mark the 20th anniversary of Andrew’s catastrophic landfall in South Florida. The Category 5 hurricane remains one of the most expensive natural disasters in the United States.

Former National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield will join state and county officials to talk about Andrew’s legacy Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale at the annual Governor’s Hurricane Conference.

Hurricane center forecasters say that since Andrew they’ve significantly improved their ability to predict a storm’s path, giving coastal residents more time to prepare. But forecasters also say they can still be surprised by a storm that rapidly strengthens the way Andrew did.

The six-month Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1.