Miami, FL Hurricane Risk

Miami sits at the intersection of the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, making it one of the most hurricane-exposed major cities in the United States. Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida in August 1992 as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 165 mph, destroying over 25,000 homes and prompting a complete overhaul of Florida building codes. In 2017, Hurricane Irma submerged Brickell Avenue under several feet of water, knocked out power to 90% of Miami-Dade County, and left some neighborhoods without electricity for over a week. Miami's low elevation — much of the city sits just a few feet above sea level — means storm surges pose an outsized threat to coastal neighborhoods like Miami Beach, Key Biscayne, and Edgewater. Even without a named storm, king tide flooding now regularly inundates streets in areas like the Venetian Islands. With over six million people in the metropolitan area and limited evacuation routes, lead time is everything.