Hurricane Andrew was a compact but extremely powerful tropical cyclone that became the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida in terms of structures damaged or destroyed and remained the costliest in financial terms until Hurricane Irma surpassed it 25 years later. Andrew was also the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the United States in decades and the costliest hurricane to strike anywhere in the country, until it was surpassed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Andrew is one of only four tropical cyclones to make landfall in the continental United States as a Category 5, alongside the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, Hurricane Camille in 1969, and Michael in 2018. While the storm also caused major damage in The Bahamas and Louisiana, the greatest impact was felt in South Florida, where the storm made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane, with 1-minute sustained wind speeds as high as 165 mph (266 km/h) and gusts as high as 177 mph (285 km/h). Passing directly through the cities of Cutler Bay and Homestead in Dade County, the hurricane stripped many homes of all but their concrete foundations and caused catastrophic damage. In total, Andrew destroyed more than 63,500 houses, damaged more than 124,000 others, caused $27.3 billion in damage, and left 65 people dead. Category 5 hurricane: peak winds of 175 mph (150 knots), lowest pressure 922 mb. August 16 – August 28, 1992. Landfalls: August 23 at 160 mph, 25.4°N 76.6°W; August 24 at 150 mph, 25.4°N 77.8°W; August 24 at 165 mph, 25.5°N 80.2°W; August 24 at 165 mph, 25.5°N 80.3°W; August 26 at 115 mph, 29.6°N 91.5°W. Accumulated cyclone energy: 28.4. Wiki link Track: NOAA National Hurricane Center, HURDAT2 best track AL041992 (public domain).