Considerable damage and dislocation was caused by Hurricane Andrew in late August.
Double-click on any word and see its definition from Cambridge Dictionaries Online
Read the article and then do an activity
Having swept across the Bahamas on Aug. 23, the hurricane ravaged southern Florida in the early hours of Aug. 24 before proceeding westwards across the Gulf of Mexico. The storm, involving winds of up to 140 miles per hour, during the night of Aug. 25-26 hit the coast of Louisiana, some 60 miles south-west of the city of New Orleans, causing extensive damage. As it moved inland its force was reduced and, on the afternoon of Aug. 26, it was officially downgraded to the status of a tropical storm.
At least 33 people were killed in the Bahamas, Florida (where the death toll was greatest) and Louisiana, although the final figure was expected to be higher. Up to 200,000 people were also left homeless, and damage to property in Florida alone was estimated at $20,000 million, making Andrew the costliest natural disaster in US history. An estimated 2,000,000 people either fled or were evacuated from the coastal regions in advance of the hurricane. This factor, together with the severe damage caused to the roads and power supplies, greatly hampered relief efforts. Some 7,000 federal troops together with National Guard units were deployed to assist with the distribution of emergency food and medical care, and to prevent looting and civil disturbances. Nevertheless, there was widespread criticism that the relief operation was slow and badly organized.
Even after it subsided, Hurricane Andrew continued to cause problems through the fierce political controversy generated by the widespread criticism concerning the speed and efficiency of relief operations.
At the beginning of September the first official estimates suggested that insurance companies would have to pay up to $7,300 million in damage claims arising from Andrew, making it the most costly natural catastrophe in US history. It was also estimated that some 275,000 of the hurricane's victims remained without electricity and that 150,000 were homeless. President George Bush, who had visited the affected region in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, made a second visit to Florida and Louisiana on Sept. 1, and pledged that the federal government would continue with the relief operation "until the job is done". In what was widely interpreted as a bid for electoral advantage--securing Florida's 25 electoral college votes was seen as essential if Bush was to win re-election to the White House--the President also announced that the government would provide 100 per cent federal reimbursement to local authorities for recovery operations, rather than the 75 per cent customary in such cases.
On Sept. 19 Congress approved a record $11,100 million disaster relief package for the victims of Hurricanes Andrew and Iniki. Negotiators from the House of Representatives and the Senate agreed to use deficit financing to provide $6,300 million in direct assistance to the stricken states and $4,800 million in loans.
This article comes from Keesings Worldwide Online
| 
