Scientists working and living in Andrew's path were by no means spared, for the ravaging storm, which struck in the early hours of August 24, played no favorites.
Current estimates are that Andrew--with gusts in excess of 175 miles per hour welling up against a backdrop of sustained winds of 145 mph--left behind 350,000 newly homeless people and at least $30 billion in damage.
Perhaps most tragic to scientific researchers was the damage sustained by South Florida's fragile ecosystems, such as Everglades National Park and coral reefs in Biscayne National Park, considered by life scientists to be among the greatest natural laboratories in the world.
Fairchild Tropical Garden, a large facility growing tropical plants, also was dealt a severe blow. The garden's location between Miami and Homestead placed the palms and cycads, many of them endangered species, directly in the storm's path. Teams of botanists from throughout the United States ...
