We’ve been collecting stories about Hurricane Andrew from people around South Florida for our “Remembering Andrew” series. We’ve also been combing through a lot of archival sound and video, including an archive we found called “Voices of Andrew.”

In the months following Hurricane Andrew, graduate students from the University of Miami collected dozens of oral histories. The archive is called “Voices of Andrew.”  It’s packed with detailed accounts from all kinds of people: teachers, insurance agents and pastors.

There is a loud explosion as the roof is torn off. In my two years in Florida, this is the first time I have felt cold.

When we put out a call for Andrew stories, the British Consulate in Miami sent us a remarkable document. Kevin McGurgan, the British consul-general in Miami, was going through old papers, looking for stuff to throw out. “Buried at the bottom,” says McGurgan, “was an old file marked ‘Crisis Management: Hurricane Andrew-Lead-up, Destruction and Aftermath.’ We pulled it out and inside was this wonderful record detailing everything that the Consulate had done to prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Andrew.”