As we approach a new season and involve ourselves in another Hurricane Season, one cannot help but reflect that this week is the 20th Anniversary of Hurricane Andrew. With winds peaking at 175 M.P.H., this category 5 storm wreaked havoc throughout all of Southern Dade County and at the time was the costliest storm in U.S. history. Although, I lived 30 miles north of the epicenter of this storm, I erred by staying in the South Miami that night. This was an experience I will never forget.
Approximately, 250,000 people were left homeless. To add to the misery, South Florida’s water sources and electricity bases were destroyed which left about 1.4 million people without the supply of electricity and drinking water. Most schools in the area were closed for the first few weeks of the year. However, in the southern pockets of Miami, it would be much longer. The only priority at the time was basic survival. Things such as football were an afterthought.
As the weeks progressed, the community would rebound and a larger segment of schools in the area reopened which for me added a sense of pride. Most schools in the area only played 6 regular season games that year beginning their seaGoson in October. The focus at the time was not about district standings or stats. Rather, it was just about football. Even if we had the exposure then that we have today with social media, ESPN televised games, and elite recruiting sites, I still believe the importance of the game itself would have monopolized the moment. I do not know who the star players or star teams were that year and if it mattered then I think we need to explore ourselves more as a society.
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