Hurricane Danielle (Alternity)

Hurricane Danielle was the fourth named storm, second hurricane and sole major hurricane of the 1992 Atlantic hurricane season. Originating from an area of disturbed weather that formed off the African coast on August 16, Danielle underwent fluctuations in intensity before entering a period of rapid intensification late on August 22, reaching its peak intensity as a Category 5 hurricane of 175 mph by late afternoon on the 23rd, when the it made first landfall in the Bahamas. After crossing Eleuthera and the Berry Islands, a weakened Danielle quickly regained strength over the Gulf Stream; at 8:40 EDT on August 24, Danielle came ashore in the northern Florida Keys, striking the uninhabited Elliott Key with winds of 165 mph. The hurricane finally struck mainland Florida near Homestead in Dade County twenty-five minutes later, causing catastrophic damage to local infrastructure ($7 billion, 1992 USD) and killing 44. Two and a half days later, Danielle made its final landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border with winds of 150 mph. No storm since has exceeded the damage caused by Danielle, and it remains the costliest hurricane in US history (the deadliest was the 1900 Great New Orleans hurricane, that killed over 6,000).