Hurricanes: Their Nature and Impacts on Society - Climate Science ...

164 HURRICANES: THEIR NATURE AND IMPACT ON SOCIETY
Table 7.3 Breakdown of current dollar estimates of $30 billion in damages directly
related to Hurricane Andrew in south Florida. Based on Rappaport (1993), updated
<strong>and</strong> extended where possible
Type of loss Amount Source(s)/Notes
($ billions)
Common insured private property
16.5
Uninsured homes 0.35
Federal Disaster Package 6.5
Public infrastructure
State
County
City
Schools
Agriculture
Damages
Lost Sales
Environment
Aircraft
Flood claims
Red Cross
Defense Department
0.050
0.287
0.060
1.0
1.04
0.48
2.124
0.02
0.096
0.070
1.412
Sheets (1994), includes homes, mobile
homes, commercial <strong>and</strong> industrial
properties <strong>and</strong> their contents, boats,
autos, farm equipment <strong>and</strong> structures,
etc.
The Miami Herald, 16 February 1993,
reported in Rappaport (1993).
Anderson, Lim <strong>and</strong> Merzer (1992);
represents 90% of $7.2 billion package
(the rest went to Louisiana).
Filkins (1994), tax revenue shortfall.
Rappaport (1993).
Tanfani (1992), Miami only.
Rappaport (1993).
McNair (1992a,b)
Fatsis (1992).
Rappaport (1993); includes state
request for clean-up <strong>and</strong> repair of
parks, marinas, beaches, <strong>and</strong> reefs.
Rappaport (1993)
FEMA Flood Insurance Administration,
reported in Rappaport (1993).
Swenson (1993).
GAO (1993c) for DOD <strong>and</strong> US Army
Corps of Engineers expenses during
recover.
amount to about $30 billion. Although the tabulation is not comprehensive
(e.g. city costs other than Miami's are not included), it is likely to be accurate
to within 5%. Additional direct costs can certainly be identified <strong>and</strong> will
increase this total, but it is the authors' judgment that such additional costs are
likely to be less than $1.5 billion. If one were to add second-order <strong>and</strong> further
costs, it is likely that total damages could approach $40 billion or even more,
depending upon assumptions. As noted above, any tabulation of damages
ought to note explicitly the assumptions guiding determination of further order
impacts as well as how benefits are considered. Table 7.3 considers only direct
costs associated with Andrew <strong>and</strong> ignores any benefits that might be related to
the storm. Estimates of damages related to Andrew's impact in Louisiana are
on the order of$I.0-1.5 billion. Andrew's impact on the national economy was
the subject of some debate (see, e.g., Fields 1992).