Interview with Maria Costa Smith (Owner of Costa Farms) conducted on December 2, 1992, Miami, FL. Hurricane Andrew - Shearwall of apartment building literally pealed off by winds. Courtesy National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Adminstration Photo Library:

INTERVIEWER: WHEN DID YOU FIRST REALIZE THAT HURRICANE ANDREW MIGHT HIT MIAMI?

SMITH: SATURDAY AT AROUNDTHE 22ND AT AROUND 5 O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOONI DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE HURRICANE WAS COMING UNTIL THAT TIME.

INTERVIEWER: WHAT PREPARATION DID YOU MAKE?

SMITH: WELL THAT NIGHT WE WENT STRAIGHT  HOMEWE WERE IN THE KEYS AND WE WENT STRAIGHT HOME TO THE HOUSE AT 6:00 A.M. AND THEN WENT TO THE FARM TO START MAKING PREPARATIONS ON THAT SUNDAY.

INTERVIEWER: WHAT DID YOU THINK IT WOULD BE LIKE BEFORE THE STORM?(REFERRING TO THE STORM ITSELF)

SMITH: I DON'T THINK ANYONE ESPECIALLY OURSELVES EVER IMAGINED THAT IT COULD BE AS BAD AS IT WAS, I MEAN I IMAGINED THINGS FLYING AROUND AND STUFF BUT THE TOTAL DESTRUCTION THAT THERE WAS IN HOMESTEAD. . . OUR FARM WAS IN HOMESTEAD, THAT WAS INCREDIBLE.

INTERVIEWER: WHERE WERE YOU DURING THE HURRICANE?

SMITH: IN HOMESTEAD.

INTERVIEWER: WHO WAS WITH YOU?

SMITH: MY FATHER, MY TWO BROTHERS, MY HUSBAND AND A FRIEND OF OURS. WE WERE STAYING AT A THAT WE HAVE ON THE FARM.

INTERVIEWER: WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU DURING THE HURRICANE?

SMITH: WELL, A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENEDI MEAN WE WERE JUST  IT WAS DARK SO YOU REALLY COULDN'T SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON OUTSIDE, BUT PROBABLY THE WORST THING THAT HAPPENED TO US IS THAT WE HAVE LITTLE LIKE WALKIETALKIE RADIOS TO COMMUNICATE AROUND THE FARM AND ONE OF THE WORKERS CALLED US ON THE RADIO AND TOLD US THAT THE HOUSE WAS FALLING ON TOP OF HIM AND THAT HE WAS DYING AND THEN THE RADIOS, THE ANTENNA  OF THE RADIOS CAME DOWN, SO WE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ELSE AND IT WAS REALLY FREAKY.  AND THEN EVERYTHING AROUND YOU JUST CAME DOWN ON YOU, YOU KNOW EVERYTHING DOORS WERE MOVING IT WAS REALLY WEIRD.

INTERVIEWER: WHAT WERE YOUR CONCERNS OR THOUGHTS DURING THE HURRICANE?

SMITH: MY FIRST CONCERN WAS THE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN HOUSES THAT WEREN'T YOU KNOW EQUIPPED TO HANDLE THAT TYPE OF HURRICANE.  I JUST NEVER IMAGINED THAT THERE COULD BE THAT TYPE OF WINDS. BUT OUR SECOND CONCERN WAS THAT YOU KNOW OUR FARM OUTSIDE WAS BEING DESTROYED BY THE HURRICANE.

INTERVIEWER: SO AS  A NURSERY OWNER THAT WAS YOUR NUMBER ONE CONCERN?

SMITH: AS FAR AS THE BUSINESS IS CONCERNED, YES.

INTERVIEWER: WHAT DID YOU DO RIGHT AFTER THE HURRICANE WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT?

SMITH: WELL THE FIRST THING THAT WE THOUGHT ABOUT WAS RUNNING OUT TO SEE IF ANYONE AROUND US NEEDED HELP, BUT WE ACTUALLY WENT OUT WHEN THE HURRICANE WAS STILL, YOU KNOW , AT THE END OF THE HURRICANE WHEN THERE WAS PRETTY STRONG WINDSAND IT JUST TOOK US I THINK AT LEAST 5 OR 6 HOURS TO REALLY SINK IN WHAT HAD HAPPENED I MEAN WE JUST WALKED AROUND AIMLESSLY FOR HOURS AND HOURS JUST IN DISBELIEF, ABSOLUTE DISBELIEF.

INTERVIEWER: WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING YOU DID?  YOU JUST WALKED AROUND?

SMITH: YES, THE FIRST THING WE DID WAS WALK AROUND TO GO SEE IF THAT GUY WHO CALLED US ON THE RADIO WAS O.K. . WE WENT RUNNING OVER THERE AND THEN WE JUST WALKED AROUND THE WHOLE FARM IN DISBELIEF.

INTERVIEWER: WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST WEEK LIKE AFTER THE HURRICANE?

SMITH: I DON'T KNOW. WE DON'T REMEMBER MUCH OF IT.  IT WAS LIKE REALLY VERY FOGGY BUT WE HADIT WAS INSANEWE HAD THE FARM WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED AND THEN WE HAD ABOUT 150 PEOPLE THAT WE WERE FEEDING EVERYDAY OVER AT HOMESTEAD.  AND ALL THESE PEOPLE COMING TO GIVE YOU HELP, AND COMING TO GIVE YOU THEIR CONDOLENCES, ITS ALMOST LIKE IF YOUR WERE IN A FUNERAL. ITS VERY FOGGY, BUT THE THING THAT YOUR REALIZE IN THE FIRST WEEK IS THAT EVERYTHING THAT YOUR TOOK FOR GRANTED IS GONE. I MEAN THERE IS NO TOILETS, THERE IS NO WATER, THERE IS NO SANITATION, THERE IS NO FOOD  WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY FOOD, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PREPARATIONS WE LEFT OVER THERE (THE KEYS) THINKING WE'D BE BACK THE NEXT DAY. AND WE, I NEVER WENT HOME FROM HOMESTEAD FOR AT LEAST 910 DAYS.

INTERVIEWER: DID YOUR RECEIVE HELP AFTER THE HURRICANE?

SMITH: YES, WE RECEIVED A LOT OF HELP. THE COMMUNITY WAS GREAT. WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE BRING FOOD AND SUPPLIES AND THEN WE HAD FRIENDS BRINGING FOOD AND SUPPLIES AND THEN WE HAD LIKE A FLORIDA FOLIAGE ASSOCIATION  BROUGHT A BUNCH OF THINGS THE SUPPORT, IT TOOK ABOUT 2 DAYS TO GET THERE BECAUSE THE ROADS WERE COMPLETELY SHOT BUT IT WAS GREAT AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW AND WE ACTUALLY HAD PEOPLE COME AND STAY IN OUR WAREHOUSE TO HELP US FEED THE PEOPLE. IT WAS READ GOOD SUPPORT.

INTERVIEWER: WHAT PEOPLE WERE YOU FEEDING, NURSERY WORKERS?

SMITH: YES, WE HAD ONE HOT MEAL A DAY.

INTERVIEWER: AND THESE PEOPLE WERE LIVING ON THE PREMISES?

SMITH: NO, THERE WERE PEOPLE, LIVING REALLY EVERYWHERE. I MEAN, WHERE EVER THEY COULD FIND SOMEWHERE TO LIVE I REALLY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THEY WERE LIVING BUT I MEAN WE EMPLOYED ABOUT 345 PEOPLE BEFORE THE HURRICANE AND I WOULD SAY AT LEAST HALF OF THEM LOST THEIR HOMES COMPLETELY. A LOT OF THEM LIVED IN TRAILER PARKS AND THEY COMPLETELY LOST THEIR HOME SO YOU KNOW. AT THE SAME TIME THAT YOU LOSE A LOT OF YOUR BUSINESS YOUR HAVE TO LAY OFF  A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WORKED WITH YOU FOR A LONG TIME, ITS A REALLY BAD EXPERIENCE.

INTERVIEWER: WHAT KIND OF EFFECT HAS HURRICANE ANDREW HAD ON YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

SMITH: I THINK HURRICANE ANDREW HAS CHANGED THE PERSPECTIVE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE AREA HAVE ON LIFE IN GENERAL. ALTHOUGH WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME WE 'VE LEARNED HOW TO APPRECIATE THE LITTLE THINGS MORE.

INTERVIEWER: DO YOU BELIEVE THAT IF YOU  HAD LONGER TIME TO PREPARE GREATER LOSSES COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED?

SMITH: NO, I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF US EVER IMAGINED WHAT TYPE OF DAMAGE THE HURRICANE COULD DO AND NO MATTER WHAT WE COULD HAVE DONE I MEAN, THE WHOLE ALL OF OUR GREENHOUSES, ALL OF OUR SHADE HOUSES WERE JUST LEVELED AND THERE WAS NOTHING I THINK, THAT NOW HAVING LEARNED, AFTER THE HURRICANE MAYBE THINGS I COULD DO BUT BEFORE HURRICANE IF I HAD MORE TIME THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO THAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED US.

INTERVIEWER: SECURING THE OFFICE, NOTHING AT ALL?

SMITH: NOTHING AT ALL.

INTERVIEWER: OUT OF ALL NURSERY TYPES: FIELD GROWN, LANDSCAPE/CONTAINERIZED, FLORICULTURE OR FOLIAGE, WHICH DO YOU BELIEVE HAS BEEN MOST HAMPERED IN THE RECOVERY PROCESS?

SMITH: I DON'T KNOW, I HAVEN'T EVEN HAD TIME TO GO OUT AND SEE OTHER BUSINESSES HARDLY. I MEAN ALL I KNOW IS THE FOLIAGE INDUSTRYBECAUSE ITS SUCH A PROBLEM ITS THE SUPPLIES, ITS EVERYTHING, THE IRRIGATION. YOU KNOW NOT ONLY WERE YOUR SHADE HOUSES MESSED UP BUT ALL YOUR IRRIGATION WAS MESSED UP.  AND ITS JUST A HUGE DRAIN ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY AS FAR AS SUPPLIERS ARE CONCERNED.

INTERVIEWER: WHEN YOU GOT BACK TO THE NURSERY, WHAT INITIAL ADAPTATION MEASURES WERE TAKEN E.G. HIRING, FIRING, CHANGING PEOPLE'S JOB DESCRIPTION?

SMITH: YEAH, IT WAS A TOTAL, EVERYONE WAS AT THE SAME LEVEL, EVERYONE FROM THE OWNERS (OURSELVES), MY PARENTS AND TO THE LOWEST WORKERS, WE WERE OUT THERE TRYING TO SALVAGE WHATEVER PLANT MATERIAL AND FIXING THE IRRIGATION. AND THEN WE HAD TO START LAYING OFF PEOPLE AFTER THE SALVE OPERATION WAS FINISHED.  IT WAS A BAD EXPERIENCE. 

INTERVIEWER: WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR BUSINESS IS STILL IN OPERATION?

SMITH: THE WHOLE ENTIRE INVENTORY WAS WIPED OUT, MAYBE WE SAVED 5%.  NOW WE ARE STARTING TO PLANT AGAIN.  WHAT ARE WE COMPARED TO BEFORE, A 3%,4% OR 5%.

INTERVIEWER: SO NO TYPE OF LABOR FOR YOU HAS INCREASED, ALL LABOR HAS JUST DECREASED?

SMITH: YES, WE ARE AT LESS THAN 1/3 OF THE WORKERS THAT WE HAD BEFORE THE STORM.

INTERVIEWER: WHERE DID MOST OF YOUR SUPPORT COME FROM?

SMITH: WE HAD SUPPORT FROM EVERYONE, SUPPLIERS, COMPETITORS, FROM PEOPLE IN RELATED INDUSTRIES, FROM FRIENDS, FROM THE COMMUNITY.  EVERYBODY WAS REALLY GOOD.

INTERVIEWER: IN COMPARISON TO THE FREEZE OF 1989. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE LEVEL OF DEVASTATION?

SMITH: NO COMPARISON< I THINK THAT IF YOU WERE TO ASK ANY NURSERYMAN IN THE AREA OF HOMESTEAD, THEY WOULD SAY BRING ON THE FREEZE OF '89. YOU CAN LOOSE ONE CROP BUT TO LOSE ALL YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE, IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.

INTERVIEWER: HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT WILL TAKE TO HAVE YOUR BUSINESS RUNNING AGAIN? 

SMITH: WE ARE RUNNING ALREADY.  IT WILL BE 68 MONTHS BEFORE WE ARE SELLING A LOT.

AND AT THE LEVEL THAT YOUR WERE RUNNING AT BEFORE? PROBABLY NEVER. . . WELL NOT NEVER. . . BUT ATLEAST 810 YEARS.

INTERVIEWER: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BEST MOTIVATOR?

SMITH: JUST REBUILDING THE FARM, JUST SEEING BACK TO WHERE IT WAS.  IT'S BEEN A REAL MOTIVATOR TO SEE CERTAIN PEOPLE COME OUT OF THE WOOD WORK AND REALLY SHINE.

INTERVIEWER: IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD?

SMITH: NEXT TIME THERE IS A HURRICANE GRAB THE FIRST PLANE OUT OF MIAMI.