Vizcaya was first seriously damaged by the Great Miami Hurricane in 1926, the year after the death of James Deering, Vizcaya’s owner. In the 1930s another hurricane further damaged the estate. Although the Main House is now rather secure, the gardens and the statues within them are very vulnerable to tropical weather and have suffered damage in various storms, including Hurricane Andrew in 1992, hurricanes Katrina and Wilma in 2005 and Hurricane Irma in 2017.
For Hurricane Irma in 2017, a camera was placed on the Deering Balcony facing the Barge. The footage of the storm and the storm surge was captured and is part of the Virtual Vizcaya experience.