Hurricane Andrew - Radar Loops

Various loops of Hurricane Andrew's landfall in Southeast Florida from the Miami and Tampa WSR-57 radars. On several of the long-range Miami loops, a large black wedge shape (indicating no reflectivity) appears on the very last frame...this occurred when the radome blew off the National Hurricane Center building during a 164mph gust, destroying the Miami radar. After Miami's radar failed (and Key West's radar had lost power), forecasters were still able to monitor the progress of Andrew's eyewall, which was just in range, on Tampa radar as the hurricane crossed the southern portion of the Florida peninsula. On the close-up loops of Andrew's eyewall, a distinct dual-hemispheric organization of the radar eye can be seen, with each half rotating cyclonically in tandem with the other, in a trochoidal looping pattern. Post-analysis indicated that one of these was the storm's wind-center, while the other was the pressure-center, which were displaced from each other by a distance of about 5 miles.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Hurricane
• Andrew
• Severe
• Weather
• Storms
• Tropical
• Cyclone
• Miami
• Florida
• Hurricanes
• 1992
• Disaster
• Category
• Five
• Radar
• Loops

[DevilDude515]

ok, just a simple question here, no need for long, complicated answers. =) Does anyone know how long Andrew lasted? please answer as fast as you can. Thank you.

[vmax135]

At landfall in South Florida, Andrew's total duration was very short, about six hours. Tropical storm conditions began at 2:45am and ended just before 9:00am. Full hurricane conditions (75mph or greater) lasted only four hours, from about 3:20am to 7:30am. The peak of the storm was about two hours, from just after 4:00am to6:00am.

[Jangle2007]

FASCINATING!

From the "ABOUT THIS VIDEO" info, what does it mean in terms of hurricane structure and strength when the wind center and pressure centers are displaced from each other...in Andrews case by 5 miles?

[vmax135]

Hi Tim. During a tropical cyclone's life-cycle, it is not uncommon for the structure of the system to change frequently. In some cases, the location of the lowest pressure and lowest wind may not be aligned. In the case of Andrew's Florida landfall, each of these areas were sightly displaced from the center of the eye, and were rotating around each other. This phenomena doesn't necessarily have a lot to do with the storm's strength, but does show how complex the structure of a hurricane can be.

[MrShowtime03]

Why didn't Andrew strengthen in the Gulf of mexico like Katrina did in 05? Katrina went from Cat 1 to 5 in hours while Andrew didn't really strengthen under that warm water! Some one please answer my question!

[vmax135]

Actually Andrew did strengthen significantly after leaving Florida. When Andrew exited southwest Florida the storm's central pressure had risen from 922mb to 951mb. Then over the north-central Gulf of Mexico, Andrew stregnthened rapidly with the pressure falling to 932mb. However, much like Katrina, the storm rapidly weakened just prior to landfall and the pressure was back up to 956mb at Andrew's third landfall at Point Chevreuil, Louisiana.

[discohome17]

what website

[tonymatt32]

@MrShowtime03 well it already was a category5 hurricane when it hit south dade with 175 mph winds!!!!actually the gulf stream in the atlantics warm water was responsible for this.IT went from a category 4 to a five in the last 50 miles when it came to shore.Actually it was strengthening over land when it hit.it is very hard for a category 5 storm to remain a cat 5 for very long.Katrina was a big and powerful cat3 when it hit land.THAts really all that matters .

[bigjoe23465]

@leojmiami i remember wilma and it was no where close to andrew i remember going outside i stayed in glouds the city just before homestead and seeing my block gone and from kendell down 2 homestead about a 35 mile path was totalled.

[Legend813a]

I wonder why they didn't use the WSR-74S at PBI

[Hurricoaster]

lol i've been in quite a few

[PCamron90]

yeah, august 23, 24.

[PelicanGuy]

They didn't.

[breyerlove79]

me2

[ancinc]

OMG im glad i was never in a hurricane or tornado

[PCamron90]

you can also go to wikipedia and look up hurricane seasons.