08/24/2026
That nearly decomposed tree stump is what’s left of a huge backyard avocado tree. Thirty-four years ago today, that tree fell as the winds from Hurricane Andrew were just starting — there was an eerie, prolonged high-pitched creak as the trunk and roots slowly pulled out of the ground, then snapped a few feet above the base and crashed down, narrowly avoiding the neighbor’s house. By the time the storm passed, every tree in the yard had come down, except for a tall coconut-laden palm that FP&L decided to chop down when workers came through the neighborhood weeks later fixing power lines.
Still, this was nothing compared to what happened in Homestead and West Kendall on Aug. 24. It took days before the hurricane’s full impact was revealed: houses destroyed, blocks wiped out, South Floridians left homeless but vowing to rebuild from the killer storm.
The hollowed-out avocado trunk has served as a planter over the years and as a reminder of that memorable night.
