Campus Alert Archive
UM

Andrew Hits on the First Night of Orientation, Sheltering 5,000 in the Dorms

FLhurricaneemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Hurricane Andrew made landfall in South Florida on August 24, 1992, as a catastrophic Category 5 storm just as the University of Miami's new-student orientation was beginning. The university canceled orientation and sheltered more than 4,000 students and their families in the Hecht and Stanford residential colleges, where residents rode out 145-mph winds in interior common areas with no power or running water. The Coral Gables campus lost 52 roofs, roughly 800 windows, and about 1,000 to 1,300 trees, with repair costs estimated near $13.7 million.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
University of Miami
Private R1 · FL
Residence-hall staff briefings and local media (pre-mass-notification era)
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTother
Approximate reconstruction285 chars
Due to the approach of Hurricane Andrew, new-student orientation is canceled. All students and family members on campus should remain in their residential college. Resident assistants will provide instructions. Bring food, water, and a flashlight to interior hallways and common areas.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed: in 1992 UM had no mass-text or mass-email system, so instructions were delivered through resident-assistant briefings, public address, and local broadcasters.
The cancellation of orientation on August 23 is documented; the storm struck during what should have been the first night of orientation.
UPDATEPA System
Approximate reconstruction233 chars
Move away from all windows and exterior doors now. Everyone report to interior hallways and common areas on the lower floors. Stay together and remain calm until the storm passes. Do not go outside, even if conditions appear to ease.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed: retrospective accounts describe residents in Mahoney and Pearson being moved to one side of hallways and eventually downstairs, and Hecht/Stanford residents sleeping in common areas.
The warning not to go outside even if conditions ease reflects the danger of the storm's calm eye, a standard hurricane-sheltering message.
Context

Background

Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida in the early hours of August 24, 1992, as one of only a handful of Category 5 hurricanes to make U.S. landfall, with sustained winds reported near 145 mph. The timing collided with the University of Miami's calendar: freshman orientation scheduled for August 23 was canceled and the storm hit during what would have been the first night of orientation, stranding roughly 5,000 students and family members on the Coral Gables campus. The university sheltered more than 4,000 people in the Hecht and Stanford residential colleges, supplying food and water as residents moved to interior common areas; in Mahoney and Pearson, students were shifted to one side of the hallway and then downstairs. There was no electricity and no running water during and after the storm. The campus lost 52 roofs, about 800 windows, and roughly 1,000 to 1,300 trees, with damage estimated near $13.7 million. Because mass-notification technology did not exist in 1992, the university relied on resident-assistant briefings, public-address announcements, and local radio and television to coordinate the shelter-in-place effort, a stark contrast to the text-and-email alert systems UM would later use for Hurricanes Irma, Ian, and Milton.
Analysis

Key Findings

Andrew struck during the first night of UM orientation, sheltering roughly 5,000 students and family members on campus
More than 4,000 people sheltered in Hecht and Stanford residential colleges with no power or running water
Communication relied entirely on RA briefings, PA announcements, and local media because no mass-notification system existed in 1992
Campus damage included 52 roofs, hundreds of windows, and about 1,000 trees, totaling roughly $13.7 million
Outcome
No campus deaths were reported. The university sheltered thousands in place during the storm, then closed for cleanup and repairs estimated at roughly $13.7 million before resuming operations.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    Hurricane Andrew: 20 years later - The Miami Hurricane
    themiamihurricane.com
  2. Student Paper
    25 years ago today: Hurricane Andrew hit Southern Florida - The Miami Hurricane
    themiamihurricane.com
  3. Source
    Hurricane Andrew - Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
Tags
hurricanefloridahistoricpre-modern-alertshelter-in-placecategory-5orientation
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion