Under the Sun tells the stories of South Florida, and there’s no bigger South Florida story in recent history than Hurricane Andrew. Around 5:05 a.m. on August 24th, 1992, Andrew made landfall near the Homestead Air Force Base, and changed lives everywhere.
WLRN-Miami Herald News Reporter, Kenny Malone, spoke to a retired Army Colonel and semi-retired veterinarian, Richard McCormick, about his experience when the Category 5 winds arrived and it was raining cats and dogs.
McCormick was 62 years old when Andrew hit. It had taken him 18 years to build a strong clientele at his veterinary clinic in Cutler Ridge. He had a thriving business and a love for his work, but after Andrew hit his business all but washed away.
There is a silver lining to this story. After the Hurricane, McCormick got a phone call from head of the American Animal Hospital Association, to coordinate post-Andrew animal rescue shelters. McCormick says its the dream job he didn’t know to dream of.
He’s 82 years old and he still sees animals a few times a month.
If you have a Hurricane Andrew story you want to share, contact us here, through the Public Insight Network. To read more Remembering Andrew stories, you can visit our “Remembering Andrew” Storify.
